Orbital Debris Impact Damage to Reusable Launch Vehicles
Orbital Debris Impact Damage to Reusable Launch Vehicles
- New search for: J. H. Robinson
- New search for: J. H. Robinson
In an effort by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), hypervelocity impact tests were performed on thermal protection systems (TPS) applied on the external surfaces of reusable launch vehicles (RLV) to determine the potential damage from orbital debris impacts. Three TPS types were tested, bonded to composite structures representing RLV fuel tank walls. The three heat shield materials tested were Alumina-Enhanced Thermal Barrier-12 (AETB-12), Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation (FRSI), and Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation (AFRSI). Using this test data, predictor equations were developed for the entry hole diameters in the three TPS materials, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.69 to 0.86. Possible methods are proposed for approximating damage occurring at expected orbital impact velocities higher than tested, with references to other published work.
Document information
Orbital Debris Impact Damage to Reusable Launch Vehicles
1998
12 pages
Report
No indication
English
Astronautics , Orbital velocity , Impact damage , Reusable launch vehicles , Hypervelocity impact , Space debris , Impact tests , Thermal protection , Refractory materials , Nasa programs , Impact velocity , Hole geometry(Mechanics) , Heat shielding , Fuel tanks , Correlation coefficients , Composite structures , Bonded joints , Aluminum oxides
Similar titles
Orbital Debris Impact Damage to Reusable Launch Vehicles
| NTRS | 1998
Orbital Debris Control Provisions Launch Vehicles
| British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
Orbital Debris Mitigation for Commercial Launch Vehicles
| AIAA | 2016
| Engineering Index Backfile | 1964