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Current Design Criteria for MMOD Impact of Metallic Pressurized TanksMost spacecraft have at least one pressurized vessel on board. For robotic spacecraft, it is usually a liquid propellant tank or battery. For human spacecraft, there are also pressurized living quarters and life-support systems. One of the design considerations of such spacecraft is the possible damage that might occur in the event of an on-orbit impact by a micrometeoroid or orbital debris (MMOD) particle. While considerable energy and effort has been expended in the study of the response of nonpressurized spacecraft components to these kinds of impacts, relatively few studies have been conducted on the pressurized elements of such spacecraft. In addition, the design criteria currently used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for pressurized tanks operating in the MMOD environment have not been tested or scrutinized since they were first proposed nearly 45 years ago. This paper reviews current NASA design criteria for pressurized vessels and offers suggestions for next steps in their further development.
Document ID
20170002232
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Schonberg, William P.
(Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology Rolla, MO, United States)
Hull, Scott M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
March 14, 2017
Publication Date
May 20, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Volume: 29
Issue: 5
ISSN: 2376-4813
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Space Transportation And Safety
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN39606
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNL12AA09C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
hypervelocity
orbital debris
pressure vessel

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