The Open University planetary impact facility: A compact two-stage light gas gun for all impact angles

Abstract

For liquid and planetary regolith target studies, requiring a horizontal target plain, a two-stage light gas gun (LGG) was designed by UniSpaceKent and constructed at the Open University. Based on a 4.7 mm bore launch facility, supplied by Physics Applications International (PIA), the design provides high mechanical rigidity under varying angles of launch, using an integral small target chamber (200 mm diameter) or an intermediate planetary target chamber; the entire gun and target chambers can be rotated from horizontal to vertical. It can also move horizontally and rotated to mate with fixed larger target facilities beneath its mezzanine location; for this configuration pre-set angles through vacuum ports are used. The position of the axis of rotation, assisted by trim weights, provides for balancing out of residual force moments.