Collision provoked failure sequencing in space reentry vehicles

Abstract

This work underlines damage prognosis and crashworthiness verification studies aim to provide a fast methodology for investigation of complex and non-linear responses of future advanced reentry space vehicles. The output of the methodology can be broadcast over the internet almost instantaneously, depending on the area of damage and intricacy of the corresponding analysis, and accessed by mission control with no delay. To evaluate the methodology, the Space Shuttle Columbia damage scenario was considered. The response of the vehicle hybrid wing structures was assessed due to the high velocity dynamic loading caused by the impact of foams detached from the liquid hydrogen tank. In general, such high velocity to ballistic loading conditions can mostly be exerted by foreign object collisions during the vehicle atmospheric flight window, particularly, within the early launch phase. Coupled explicit finite element-micro mechanics constitutive impact damage evaluation models were constructed and compared to the test data provided by the Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio. The methodology developed provides the level of accuracy required with minimal dependency on rigorous calibration procedures otherwise deemed necessary by conventional modeling approaches.