The effect of nitric acid exposure on Galileo spacecraft titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V propellant tanksThe Ti-6Al-4V-constructed retropropulsion-module tanks of the Galileo spacecraft were purged with nitrogen tetroxide in order to wait out a major launch rescheduling; nitric acid is among the residual products of such an operation. A test program was conducted on representative samples to ascertain the fracture toughness and stress corrosion threshold of the tanks' material, in view of Space Shuttle safety and mission-reliability requirements. It was found that the tanks' structural integrity was not degraded by nitric acid exposure.
Document ID
19920040142
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Hsieh, Cheng (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
O'Donnell, Tim (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Yavrouian, Andre (JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)