WIT Press


Numerical Simulation Of Orbital Debris Impact On Spacecraft

Price

Free (open access)

Volume

25

Pages

10

Published

1996

Size

1,615 kb

Paper DOI

10.2495/SUSI960251

Copyright

WIT Press

Author(s)

G. Pezzica, R.Destefanis & M. Faraud

Abstract

The non-linear explicit finite-differences computer code AUTODYN-2D* has been used for modelling the hypervelocity impact of an aluminium projectile against a 3-wall structure made of aluminium alloy (two bumper shields and a rear or back-up wall, with stand-off distances in between). The target configuration has been chosen to assess the resistance to debris impact of a protection system under investigation for a manned module to be attached to the International Space Station Alpha. The hydrocode calculations have been compared with the hypervelocity impact experiment of a spherical projectile, 1.0 cm in diameter, hitting the target at 7 km/s. The perforation of the first bumper shield, the phase transition of the projectile material,

Keywords