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Risk and Vulnerability Analysis of Satellites Due to MM/SD with PIRAT

Kempf, Scott 1, Schafer, Frank Rudolph, Martin 1, Welty, Nathan 1, Donath, Therese 1, Destefanis, Roberto 1, Grassi, Lilith 1, Janovsky, Rolf 1, Evans, Leanne 1, Winterboer, Arne1
Affiliation data not available1

Document details

Publishing year2013 PublisherESA Publishing typeConference Name of conference6th European Conference on Space Debris
Pagesn/a Volume
6
Issue
1
Editors
L. Ouwehand

Abstract

Until recently, the state-of-the-art assessment of the threat posed to spacecraft by micrometeoroids and space debris was limited to the application of ballistic limit equations to the outer hull of a spacecraft. The probability of no penetration (PNP) is acceptable for assessing the risk and vulnerability of manned space mission, however, for unmanned missions, whereby penetrations of the spacecraft exterior do not necessarily constitute satellite or mission failure, these values are overly conservative. The newly developed software tool PIRAT (Particle Impact Risk and Vulnerability Analysis Tool) has been developed based on the Schäfer-Ryan-Lambert (SRL) triple-wall ballistic limit equation (BLE), applicable for various satellite components. As a result, it has become possible to assess the individual failure rates of satellite components. This paper demonstrates the modeling of an example satellite, the performance of a PIRAT analysis and the potential for subsequent design optimizations with respect of micrometeoroid and space debris (MM/SD) impact risk.

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