Calibration of the French C.E.G. hypervelocity launcher

Within the Inter Agencies Debris Committee third working group framework, CNES has started a calibration campaign of the French C.E.G. (Centre d'Etude de Gramat) hypervelocity launcher. The same calibration test series has already been conducted by NASA JSC, NASDA, ESA and RKA. By completing those tests with the CEG Light-Gas Gun (LGG), CNES has two purposes: to be able to compare the French test facilities with existing and calibrated ones, to get ready with high velocity testing on space structures. This second aim is related to the general pattern of the CNES debris's policy: to be able to shield spacecraft again space debris and to limit space debris production. All the test hardwares were prepared by NASA and shipped to CNES with projectiles and test instructions. The delivered targets consist of 4 multi-layer shields composed of bumpers (2 or 3 plates), one rear wall and one witness plate. Bumper and rear wall materials are A16061T6, witness plates are 0.16 cm thick A12024T3 mounted 15 cm behind rear wall. All projectiles are A12019T4 spheres (0.79 or 1 cm in diameter). The paper presents the CEG LGG, the test conditions (mass and size of the projectile, dimension of the target, impact incidence) and the test results: X-ray registration, post test study of the damage (craters, holes, etc.). It will also present the numerical calculations that have been done by CEG with his OURANOS code.