Numerical Analysis of Shock Layer Ionization during the Entry of the Schiaparelli Spacecraft into the Martian Atmosphere

The paper presents a numerical analysis of aerophysical nonequilibrium processes occurring near the surface of the Schiaparelli entry vehicle in the region of hypersonic flight in the dense Martian atmosphere. The two-dimensional model realized is based on the system of self-consistent equations of nonequilibrium physical and chemical mechanics of a partially ionized, multicomponent, viscous, and heat-conducting gas. A numerical investigation of the conditions of the flow around the Schiaparelli entry vehicle during its landing onto the Mars surface shows that in the altitude range from 80 to 30 km the electron concentration in the flow region disturbed by the entry vehicle amounts to 10⁹ to 10¹¹ cm^–3. These calculated data are confirmed by the flight data concerning the blocking of radio signals transmitted by the entry vehicle to the orbital module.