Experimental Studies Concerning the Meteoroid Hazard to Aerospace Materials and Structures

The expected meteoroid hazard to satellites and spacecraft is reviewed, and the hazard is defined from the available references. Damage mechanisms include sputtering, cratering, perforation, and spalling. The requirements for simulating the meteoroid hazard in the laboratory and the capabilities of some available projection techniques, such as light-gas guns and explosive charges, are discussed, and the application of special experimental techniques to hypervelocity impact studies is described (including high-speed framing camera, flash x ray, high-temperature furnace, and evacuated test chamber). Published empirical relationships for describing the damage resulting from hypervelocity impact are reviewed and compared with recent experimental data. Detailed test data are presented, including photographs of typical test materials and structures and graphs giving quantitative test results.