What is the primary structural risk associated with too steep an angle in the entry corridor of survival?
Answer
Excessively rapid deceleration leading to immense G-forces capable of crushing the crew.
When the entry angle is too steep, the spacecraft plunges too rapidly into the denser portions of the atmosphere. This steep entry translates directly into an excessively rapid deceleration rate. This abrupt slowing translates mechanically into immense G-forces exerted upon the vehicle structure and any occupants. If these G-loads exceed the structural limits, the physical result can be the crushing of the crew or structural failure of the vehicle itself, in addition to causing a massive, nearly instantaneous spike in thermal load on the protection system.
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