This paper presents a review of recent literature on the application of retro-propulsion in earth based rocket systems, with a specific focus on the recent advancements and challenges associated with the prediction of aerothermal and aerodynamic characteristics of re-usable boosters. It gives an overview of current system architectures and mission profiles, while discussing the trends in future vehicle design. The effects of various flight conditions on thermal loads and vehicle aerodynamics are discussed, with particular attention given to the interactions between plume and vehicle, as well as the interplay between individual nozzle exhausts. A short evaluation of wind tunnel testing capabilities and scaling challenges is given, before the use of computational fluid dynamics for retro-propulsion applications is discussed. Finally, a summary is given, which emphasises future needs surrounding the accurate prediction of the vehicle aerothermal and aerodynamic characteristics.

中文翻译：

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火箭系统中的逆向推进：空气动力学特性和热载荷预测的最新进展和挑战


本文回顾了有关逆向推进在地球火箭系统中应用的最新文献，特别关注与预测可重复使用助推器的气动热和空气动力学特性相关的最新进展和挑战。它概述了当前的系统架构和任务概况，同时讨论了未来车辆设计的趋势。讨论了各种飞行条件对热载荷和飞行器空气动力学的影响，特别关注羽流和飞行器之间的相互作用，以及各个喷嘴排气之间的相互作用。在讨论将计算流体动力学用于逆向推进应用之前，对风洞测试能力和扩展挑战进行了简短的评估。最后，给出了一个总结，强调了围绕准确预测车辆空气热和空气动力学特性的未来需求。