Claudia Jimenez Cuesta
Research title: Plume-Surface Interactions (PSIs) on Spacecraft Structures During Landings
Research summary
The study of the flowfield in the vicinity of spacecraft nozzles during landing in extra-terrestial bodies. Focus on Shock Boundary Layer Interactions (SBLIs) and Regolith ocurring near the exhaust plume (at Mach 6.6).
Experimental work in the vacuum chamber using a heat exchanger and regolith simulants to recreate the flow physics surrounding plume impingement.
Definition of Plume-Regolith Control to minimise damages on both structure and hardware of landers.
Publications
2025
Jimenez Cuesta, Claudia 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7915-1302, Davies, Jack, Worrall, Kevin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9762-5274, Cammarano, Andrea ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8222-8150 and Zare-Behtash, Hossein ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4769-4076
(2025)
Plume-surface interactions: a review of experimental work.
Acta Astronautica, 226(1),
pp. 892-912.
(doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.09.021)
2024
Jimenez Cuesta, Claudia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7915-1302, Davies, Jack, Worrall, Kevin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9762-5274, Cammarano, Andrea ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8222-8150 and Zare-Behtash, Hossein ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4769-4076
(2024)
Development of Diagnostic Techniques for Plume-Generated Dust Clouds.
21st International Planetary Probe Workshop 2024 (IPPW 2024), Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, 08-14 Jun 2024.
Articles
Jimenez Cuesta, Claudia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7915-1302, Davies, Jack, Worrall, Kevin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9762-5274, Cammarano, Andrea ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8222-8150 and Zare-Behtash, Hossein ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4769-4076
(2025)
Plume-surface interactions: a review of experimental work.
Acta Astronautica, 226(1),
pp. 892-912.
(doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.09.021)
Conference or Workshop Item
Jimenez Cuesta, Claudia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7915-1302, Davies, Jack, Worrall, Kevin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9762-5274, Cammarano, Andrea ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8222-8150 and Zare-Behtash, Hossein ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4769-4076
(2024)
Development of Diagnostic Techniques for Plume-Generated Dust Clouds.
21st International Planetary Probe Workshop 2024 (IPPW 2024), Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, 08-14 Jun 2024.