Attitude and angular rates of planetary probes during atmospheric descent: Implications for imaging

Attitude dynamics data from planetary missions are reviewed to obtain a zeroth-order expectation on the tilts and angular rates to be expected on atmospheric probes during descent: these rates are a strong driver on descent imager design. While recent Mars missions have been equipped with capable inertial measurements, attitude measurements for missions to other planetary bodies are rather limited but some angular motion estimates can be derived from accelerometer, Doppler or other data. It is found that robust camera designs should tolerate motions of the order of 20–40°/s, encountered by Mars Pathfinder, Pioneer Venus, Venera and the high speed part of the Huygens descent on Titan. Under good conditions, parachute-stabilized probes can experience rates of 1–5°/s, seen by the Mars Exploration Rovers and Viking, Galileo at Jupiter, and the slow speed parts of the Huygens descent. In the lowest 20 km of the descent on Titan, the Huygens probe was within 2° of vertical over 95% of the time. Some factors influencing these motions are discussed.