Passive Vibration Isolation and Absorber System for Earth Imaging from the International Space Station (ISS)

Abstract

Vibration onboard the International Space Station (ISS) vary widely from low to high frequency excitation with variable amplitudes depending on the current configuration and activities onboard. Many payloads which operate onboard the space station require an effective vibration isolation and/or absorber system to attenuate the amount of vibration present. The International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC™), a multi-spectral imaging payload onboard the space station, has a vibration amplitude limiting system which uses both vibration isolation and absorber system components to attenuate the vibration over wide range of excitation frequencies. Viscoelastic structural elements that act as both a spring and a damper in a single structural element are implemented in the design. The transmissibility and the ground jitter associated with the system are determined with the effect of cable stiffness and routing included in the analysis while determining the overall transmissibility. Complete analytical and numerical analyses are presented illustrating the overall effectiveness of the system. Detailed stress analysis and vibration testing results were used to verify the system meets the robust requirements of the launch loads and on-orbit environment conditions are also presented.