Optimization of Hypersonic Re-Entry Vehicle Aerodynamics for Communication Blackout Mitigation

Re-entry space vehicles, traveling at hypersonic speeds (Mach 20 or higher), encounter communication blackout due to plasma sheath formation. The extreme heat from air compression ionizes molecules, increasing electromagnetic wave absorption and reflection. To mitigate this effect, various techniques such as aerodynamic shaping, magnetic windows, and liquid injection have been explored. This study presents a multiphysics approach to investigate aerodynamic shape effects on plasma formation. In this contribution Computational Fluid Dynamics, for ionized chemical densities, and electromagnetic simulations, via the Scattering Matrix Method, are performed on geometries morphed using the Radial Basis Function method. The results are used to build a surrogate model which can be used to find the optimal shape to mitigate the blackout effect.