Development of a lightweight space debris shield using high strength fibers
โ Scribed by Makoto Tanaka; Yoko Moritaka; Yasuhiro Akahoshi; Ryuta Nakamura; Akira Yamori; Susumu Sasaki
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2001
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 624 KB
- Volume
- 26
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0734-743X
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
โฆ Synopsis
In order to protect space structure against space debris impacts, it is indispensable to develop a shield with high strength materials. A high strength fiber is one of potential materials from a viewpoint of strength, lightweight, and flexibility. The purpose of this study was to develop a new lightweight shield composed of high strength fibers against medium size debris impacts. We developed four kinds of shields using Vectran fibers, and hypervelocity impact tests were carried out by a railgun accelerator. The experimental results showed that the developed shield could stop the polycarbonate projectile with 13 mm in diameter, 1 gram in weight, and 6.9 km/sec in velocity. Adoption of the high strength fiber in the bumper materials may reinforce the protection capability and reduce the weight drastically.
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