Hypervelocity impact response of spaced composite material structures

Abstract

The design of a spacecraft for a long-duration mission must take into account the possibility of high-speed impacts by meteoroids and orbiting space debris and the effects of such impacts on the spacecraft structure. With the advent of many new high-strength composite materials and their proliferation in aircraft applications, it has become necessary to evaluate their potential for use in long-duration space and aerospace structural systems. One aspect of this evaluation is the analysis of their response to hypervelocity projectile impact loadings. The analyses performed in this study indicate that the extent of damage to a dual-wall composite structure can be written as a function of the geometric and material properties of the projectile/structure system. A comparative analysis of impact damage in composite specimens and in geometrically similar aluminum specimens is also performed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of employing certain composite materials in the design of structural wall systems for long-duration spacecraft.