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Completed TRL 3 (started at 1, targeting 3)
Discuss the current state-of-the-art and the limitations of current plume/surface multi-phase flow modeling.
There are significant engineering and scientific risks associated the rocket plume-surface interaction environments. A few of these risks include landing site alteration, catastrophic landing event failure and mechanical damage of exposed hardware. However, as a result of the complex interactions across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, rocket plume/soil erosion environments are challenging to predict accurately through either computational models or ground-based experiments. This work benefits missions landing on Mars with rockets, and is especially important for ensuring the safety of astronauts landing on Mars.
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