Repeatability and uncertainty analyses of light gas gun test data

Abstract

All large spacecraft are susceptible to high-speed impacts by meteoroids and pieces of orbiting space debris which can damage flight-critical systems and in turn lead to catastrophic failure. One way to obtain information on the response of a structure to a meteoroid impact or an orbital debris impact is to simulate the impact conditions of interest in the laboratory and analyze the resulting damage to a target structure. As part of the Phase B and C/D development activities for the Space Station Freedom, 950 impact tests were performed using the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) light gas gun from 1985-1991. This paper presents the results of impact phenomena repeatability and data uncertainty studies performed using the information obtained from those tests. The results of these studies can be used to assess the utility of individual current and future NASA/MSFC impact test results in the design of long-duration spacecraft.