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NASA Langley's Aerothermodynamic Capabilities for Entry, Descent, and Landing
Aerospace Engineering
This document reviews the experimental aerothermodynamic capabilities and contributions of NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) programs. It details test facilities, model development, instrumentation, and measurement techniques, highlighting contributions to hypersonic flight and planetary exploration, including the Mars Science Laboratory and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle programs.
Aerodynamics
Space Exploration
Research and Development
30 Questions
Medium
Ages 12+
Apr 12, 2026
About this Study Set
This study set covers Aerospace Engineering through
30 practice questions.
This document reviews the experimental aerothermodynamic capabilities and contributions of NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) programs. It details test facilities, model development, instrumentation, and measurement techniques, highlighting contributions to hypersonic flight and planetary exploration, including the Mars Science Laboratory and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle programs. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 30 questions from the
NASA Langley's Aerothermodynamic Capabilities for Entry, Descent, and Landing study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
What is the primary focus of the review presented in this document?
-
A
Hypersonic flight research
-
B
Mid to low lift-to-drag ratio vehicle geometries for EDL
-
C
Winged craft development
-
D
Propulsion demonstrations
2
Which of the following is NOT listed as a critical area within the aerothermodynamic environment for EDL missions?
-
A
Aerodynamics
-
B
Thermodynamics
-
C
Structural Integrity
-
D
Heat-transfer
3
According to the text, which method is often prohibitively expensive for defining EDL aerothermodynamic environments?
-
A
Ground-test experimentation
-
B
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations
-
C
Flight-testing
-
D
Wind tunnel testing
4
What is a primary role of wind tunnel testing in recent years, in addition to its customary role?
-
A
Replacing CFD simulations entirely
-
B
Providing high-fidelity data for computational model development and validation
-
C
Focusing solely on vehicle design
-
D
Reducing the need for flight-testing
5
Which NASA LaRC facility is currently mothballed and non-operational?
-
A
31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel
-
B
20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel
-
C
15-Inch High-Temperature Mach 6 Air Tunnel
-
D
20-Inch Mach 6 CF4 tunnel
6
The 31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel is primarily employed in which types of studies?
-
A
Heat-transfer and boundary-layer transition studies
-
B
Instrumentation development and diagnostics
-
C
Aerodynamic and fluid-mechanics studies
-
D
CFD model development
7
Which LaRC wind tunnel is primarily used for heat-transfer and boundary-layer transition studies due to its wide Reynolds number operating range?
-
A
31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel
-
B
20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel
-
C
15-Inch High-Temperature Mach 6 Air Tunnel
-
D
20-Inch Mach 6 CF4 tunnel
8
The 15-Inch Mach 6 High-Temperature Air Tunnel is considered a leg of which larger facility?
-
A
20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel
-
B
Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel
-
C
31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel
-
D
CF4 Tunnel
9
What is a key characteristic of the 20-Inch Mach 6 CF4 tunnel that allows it to simulate high-temperature, reacting air at lower Mach numbers?
-
A
Lower shock density ratio
-
B
Perfect-gas properties
-
C
Higher shock density ratio
-
D
Lower operating temperature
10
The NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) is a closed-circuit, continuous-flow pressure tunnel with how many separate legs?
-
A
One
-
B
Two
-
C
Three
-
D
Four
11
Which measurement technique provides global heat-transfer information with an order-of-magnitude more data points than discrete-gage techniques at a fraction of the cost?
-
A
Infrared thermography
-
B
Pressure-sensitive paint
-
C
Temperature-sensitive paint
-
D
Phosphor thermography
12
What does Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP) measure?
-
A
Surface temperature
-
B
Surface pressure
-
C
Heat-transfer rates
-
D
Flow-field velocity
13
Which technique is employed to obtain surface flow-field patterns by observing the movement of oil on a model's surface?
-
A
Schlieren systems
-
B
Laser-induced fluorescence
-
C
Oil flow visualization
-
D
Pitot probes
14
What type of measurement technique is generally more expensive and provides less spatial resolution but is often necessary for temporal data?
-
A
Global surface measurement techniques
-
B
Discrete surface measurement techniques
-
C
Flow-field diagnostics
-
D
Model fabrication methods
15
Which of the following is NOT a discrete surface temperature and heat-transfer measurement technique mentioned?
-
A
Thin-film resistance heat-transfer gages
-
B
Coaxial thermocouples
-
C
Infrared thermography
-
D
Thin-skin calorimeter gages
16
What type of balances are typically used for aerodynamic force and moment measurements?
-
A
Strain-gage balances
-
B
Pressure transducers
-
C
Thermocouples
-
D
Laser velocimeters
17
Which technique is available for visualization of flow-field shock structures in all tunnels?
-
A
Laser vapor screening
-
B
Schlieren systems
-
C
Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF)
-
D
Pitot probes
18
What is the primary role of the LAURA code at NASA Langley?
-
A
Supersonic flow simulations
-
B
Boundary-layer transition prediction
-
C
Hypersonic conditions simulations
-
D
Aerodynamic trim-tab design
19
Which computational solver uses unstructured grids to deal with complex topologies?
-
A
LAURA
-
B
FUN3D
-
C
OVERFLOW
-
D
LASTRAC
20
What was a critical design consideration for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) entry vehicle due to its size, angle of attack, and entry velocity?
-
A
Laminar flow on the leeside
-
B
The possibility of turbulent flow on the leeside
-
C
Low heating rates
-
D
Minimal aerodynamic loads
21
What issue was investigated using global phosphor thermography in the LaRC 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel for the MSL entry vehicle?
-
A
RCS jet interactions
-
B
MMRTG breakup analysis
-
C
Heat shield attachment-point cavities
-
D
Turbulent aeroheating
22
The MSL heat-shield cavity correlations were developed in terms of the ratio of cavity diameter to boundary-layer height versus what other parameter?
-
A
Mach number
-
B
Reynolds number
-
C
Momentum thickness Reynolds number
-
D
Stagnation temperature
23
For the MSL turbulent aeroheating studies, which algebraic turbulence model was adopted as the design method?
-
A
Cebeci-Smith
-
B
Baldwin-Lomax
-
C
LAURA
-
D
FUN3D
24
Why was aerodynamic force-and-moment testing performed in the LaRC UPWT for the MSL entry vehicle?
-
A
To verify expected hypersonic performance
-
B
To verify expected supersonic performance
-
C
To study RCS performance
-
D
To analyze MMRTG breakup
25
What was the general finding regarding the maximum interaction effects of the MSL Reaction Control System (RCS) jets?
-
A
They exceeded 50% of the RCS-generated torques
-
B
They were less than 30% of the RCS-generated torques
-
C
They were negligible
-
D
They required significant design changes
26
What is the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) being developed as?
-
A
A Mars rover
-
B
A lunar lander
-
C
A re-entry vehicle for human missions beyond Low Earth Orbit
-
D
A satellite for Earth observation
27
For the Orion vehicle, a turbulent flow design environment has been specified due to its large size, high-angle of attack, and high entry velocity. What experimental studies were conducted to obtain turbulent aeroheating data?
-
A
Discrete heat-transfer measurements
-
B
Global phosphor thermography
-
C
Infrared thermography
-
D
Pressure-sensitive paint
28
What type of material is the Orion heat shield manufactured from?
-
A
Titanium
-
B
Aluminum
-
C
Avcoat (an ablative material)
-
D
Ceramic
29
What was the primary purpose of the IRVE-3 mission?
-
A
To demonstrate a Mars lander
-
B
To test a hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (HIAD)
-
C
To return solar wind particles to Earth
-
D
To develop a new propulsion system
30
What phenomenon was investigated in the LaRC 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel for the IRVE-3 mission due to the flexible aeroshell's expected deformation?
-
A
RCS jet interactions
-
B
Boundary-layer transition and heating
-
C
Wake-flow structure
-
D
Aerodynamic trim-tab effectiveness
