Summary: Next-generation Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) systems for Titan and Mars must safely slow down increasingly large payloads. One particular challenge occurs during the transonic phase of descent, where the spacecraft is subject to aerodynamic instabilities that can cause uncontrolled oscillations, posing a significant risk of mission failure. This project will further develop the GPU-accelerated computational fluid dynamics flow solver PyFR - implementing improved shock capturing approaches and a full 6-DOF free-flight capability - and use it to study dynamic stability in the transonic phase of descent. The work will be undertaken in collaboration with Texas A&M University and NASA Ames.

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