Stardust backshell and back interface plate design verification tests in the NASA Ames Arc Jet facilities

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the design verification tests for the SLA-561V backshell and back interface plate (BIP) of the Stardust Discovery Class Mission Sample Return Capsule (SRC). The Stardust spacecraft will fly by Comet Wild-2, collect cometary and interstellar dust and return them back to earth in the SRC at the fastest earth re-entry to date. The SLA-561V material, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Michoud, will be used on the backshell and BIP of the SRC. The cometary particles and interstellar dust will be collected in a tray filled with the novel aerogel material, which will be designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The SRC is designed as a clamshell to allow the extension of the aerogel tray during the collection period. The SRC clamshell will remain open for several years and then close and seal before re-entry to earth. Therefore, it is important to test the seal design of the joint between the PICA forebody and the SLA-561V backshell. The verification tests were performed in three NASA Ames Arc Jet facilities. The objectives were to verify designs of the seal and several penetrations in the backshell and BIP, such as the vents, electrical cable interface, the pushoff pad, and the attachment point, at the predicted peak heat flux and heat load conditions.