ABSTRACT
The distribution of radiative flux over the surface of an arbitrarily shaped axisymmetric body was calculated by N. N. Pilyugin and G. A. Tirskii based on the asymptotic radiative gas dynamical solution for shock layer flows. In A. A. Deev, the radiative transfer optimization problem is analyzed, accounting for real material properties of the entry body heat shield. It is a requirement that the local heat flux to the body surface should not exceed a certain critical value at which the intensive destruction of the body surface may begin. The best method of handling the variational probe shape optimization problems of current interest is to start by estimating the relevant drag and radiative transport properties using either analytical or numerical solutions of the radiative gas dynamics governing equations. Comparison of the radiative heating rates for the optimum bodies and for the sharp cone showed that the use of the optimum configuration led to a considerable reduction of the radiative flux to tbe body.
