Missions to Mars and Venus today, can make use of aerobraking to save considerable amounts of fuel (e.g. Venus Express, Exomars TGO, Envision). Manoeuvres in excess of several thousands of m/s can be replaced by aerobraking to, after initial orbit insertion, allow probes to achieve their final operational orbit around the planet. Currently most spacecraft rely on the (relatively small) surface of the solar arrays and the body to create the necessary drag to brake in the atmosphere (e.g. VEX, Exomars TGO, EnVision). In Venus, in particular, spacecraft is already subject to an aggressive thermal environment and aerobraking relying on the structure exacerbates the problem leading to potential damage Structural compromises are required to achieve a natural aerodynamic stability of the spacecraft, sometimes requiring active control, which consumes fuel Spacecraft need to manage altitude carefully as the density of atmosphere changes between consecutive passes due to Sun activity. As the orbits tighten and period reduces, the operational turn around to determine location and prepare the spacecraft for next pass are getting increasingly fast and hard for Ground to sustain. Overall the full orbital change may last from 6 months to 2 years during which time the probe performs no science at all and risks failure. We propose a device in the shape of an umbrella with a tube structure that is filled in with a pressurizing gas to provide stiffness, similar to kites used for surfing. The device is mounted on a boom away from the spacecraft body to provide aerodynamic stability and ensure safety. The device may increase the aerobraking operations period by a factor of 10: From a couple of years to a couple of months thus allowing for more time for Science. The idea could be subject to patenting - pending research for similar concepts.
