Hypervelocity impact testing of pressure vessels to simulate spacecraft failure

Abstract

A series of hypervelocity impact tests are conducted against thin-walled aluminum pressure vessels to investigate failure mechanisms. The vessels, 0.05 and 0.08 inches thick, are constructed to replicate the material properties of the International Space Station (ISS). The vessels are pressurized to simulate the conditions experienced by the habitable modules of the ISS. A test matrix incorporating shielded thin plates, shielded vessels under no pressure and shielded vessels under internal pressure is developed to take advantage of knowledge gained in earlier tests. Given the design parameters of the ISS coupled with the capabilities of light gas gun testing, it is shown that a catastrophic failure due to unzipping is unlikely.