{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/139447"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/139447","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Aerodynamics and Impact Simulation of an Air-Dropped Ice Penetrator","abstract":"In order to investigate movement of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica, an air-dropped ice penetrator will be employed. Dropping a seismic probe from a helicopter offers several advantages over sending out a conventional crewed mission, such as reduced transit time and access to hard-to-reach locations. However, a new set of problems to be solved arises. The penetrator must fall fast enough to guarantee rigid coupling to the ice shelf, but slow enough to avoid damaging internal components. Aerodynamic analysis is used to select a penetrator geometry, and to suggest a drop altitude of at least 5000 ft (1524 m). Detailed simulations of the impact reveal shock loads up to 566 G from a drop velocity of 42.5 m/s. Finally, the effects of steady wind are analyzed, and point to a maximum recommended wind speed of 7.5 m/s for drop operations.","abstract_html":"In order to investigate movement of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica, an air-dropped ice penetrator will be employed. Dropping a seismic probe from a helicopter offers several advantages over sending out a conventional crewed mission, such as reduced transit time and access to hard-to-reach locations. However, a new set of problems to be solved arises. The penetrator must fall fast enough to guarantee rigid coupling to the ice shelf, but slow enough to avoid damaging internal components. Aerodynamic analysis is used to select a penetrator geometry, and to suggest a drop altitude of at least 5000 ft (1524 m). Detailed simulations of the impact reveal shock loads up to 566 G from a drop velocity of 42.5 m/s. Finally, the effects of steady wind are analyzed, and point to a maximum recommended wind speed of 7.5 m/s for drop operations.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Poe, Daniel Pekka"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Hoffman, Jeffrey"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-06","date_published":"2021-06","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:05Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright MIT"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139447","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Hoffman, Jeffrey"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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Dropping a seismic probe from a helicopter offers several advantages over sending out a conventional crewed mission, such as reduced transit time and access to hard-to-reach locations. However, a new set of problems to be solved arises. The penetrator must fall fast enough to guarantee rigid coupling to the ice shelf, but slow enough to avoid damaging internal components. Aerodynamic analysis is used to select a penetrator geometry, and to suggest a drop altitude of at least 5000 ft (1524 m). Detailed simulations of the impact reveal shock loads up to 566 G from a drop velocity of 42.5 m/s. Finally, the effects of steady wind are analyzed, and point to a maximum recommended wind speed of 7.5 m/s for drop operations."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Aerodynamics and Impact Simulation of an Air-Dropped Ice Penetrator"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Hoffman, Jeffrey"],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics"],"dc:creator":["Poe, Daniel Pekka"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2022-01-14T15:12:01Z"],"dc:date.available":["2022-01-14T15:12:01Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2021-06"],"dc:description.abstract":["In order to investigate movement of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica, an air-dropped ice penetrator will be employed. Dropping a seismic probe from a helicopter offers several advantages over sending out a conventional crewed mission, such as reduced transit time and access to hard-to-reach locations. However, a new set of problems to be solved arises. The penetrator must fall fast enough to guarantee rigid coupling to the ice shelf, but slow enough to avoid damaging internal components. Aerodynamic analysis is used to select a penetrator geometry, and to suggest a drop altitude of at least 5000 ft (1524 m). Detailed simulations of the impact reveal shock loads up to 566 G from a drop velocity of 42.5 m/s. Finally, the effects of steady wind are analyzed, and point to a maximum recommended wind speed of 7.5 m/s for drop operations."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139447"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright MIT"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Aerodynamics and Impact Simulation of an Air-Dropped Ice Penetrator"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master","Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:05Z"}