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Impact Characterization of Stuffed Whipple for China Space Station

Shigui Zheng1,Weiwei Gong1,Jun Yan1
China Academy of Space Technology1

Document details

Publishing year2017 PublisherESA Space Debris Office Publishing typeConference Name of conference7th European Conference on Space Debris
Pagesn/a Volume
7
Issue
1
Editors
T. Flohrer, F. Schmitz

Abstract

Space station is the largest spacecraft being developed in China, which will be composed of three spacecrafts by docking on orbit. The station will be to stay aloft for more than a decade, and it will be visited by a series of Shenzhou and cargo spacecraft during its operational lifetime. The station will orbit about 400 km above the Earth's surface, and its risk of failure subjected to MOD is bigger than all others of China. According to the results of risk assessment, PNP of the station is almost 0 with no shield, and only 0.3 with Whipple. Therefore, basaltic/aramid stuffed whipple will be adopted for China's space station.
Three of kinds stuffed whipple are designed for the station with 3-layers basaltic and 3-layers aramid. The first, bumper material is 5A06 aluminum alloy with 1mm thickness, rear wall material is 5A06 aluminum alloy with 2.5mm thickness, stuffed material is placed in 1/6 of standoff with about 120mm. The second, bumper material is 3A21 aluminum alloy with 0.8mm thickness, rear wall material is 5A06 aluminum alloy with 2.5mm thickness, stuffed material is placed in 1/4 of standoff with about 80mm. The third, bumper material is 3A21 aluminum alloy with 0.8mm thickness, rear wall material is 5A06 aluminum alloy with 3.5mm thickness, stuffed material is placed in 1/6 of standoff with about 120mm.
Ballistic limit were obtained of the stuffed whipple by HVI test. The first, critical diameter of aluminum projectile with 30°is smaller about 0.5mm with 0°at 3.1km/s, critical diameter of aluminum projectile with 30°is same with 0°at 6.4km/s. The second, critical diameter of aluminum projectile with 30°is smaller about 0.75mm with 0°at 3.1km/s, critical diameter of aluminum projectile with 30°is same with 0°at 6.4km/s. The third, critical diameter of aluminum projectile with 30°is smaller about 0.5mm with 0°at 3.1km/s, critical diameter of aluminum projectile with 30°is smaller about 0.25mm with 0°at 6.4km/s.

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