Analysis of impacts detected on the Hubble space telescope solar arrays provides the authors with a great deal of data on impact mechanism into thin, brittle and layered targets, such as solar cells. The bulk of ejected material produced by an impact on a brittle target is much more important than on a ductile metallic target, because of the formation of spall fragments in a conchoidal zone. The spall phenomenon is increased by the multilayered structure of solar cells : delaminations between the cover-glass and the silicon layer create large fragments ejected at low velocities. The high production rate of spall fragments is a preoccupying fact because they have long lifetimes in orbit and will increase the debris population in the long run. The smallest comminuted fragments are ejected at high velocity in a debris cone. These fragments are likely to produce secondary impacts on the components of complex and large space structures, such as space stations. Quantitative assessment of debris flux increase due to secondaries is proposed.
Hypervelocity impacts on solar arrays: analysis of secondary particles ejection and implications for environment
Aufprall von Teilchen mit extrem hoher Geschwindigkeit auf Solarzellenträger: Analyse des Ausstoßes von sekundären Partikeln und deren Auswirkung auf die Umwelt
1997
7 Seiten, 13 Bilder, 9 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Online Contents | 1997
Hypervelocity impacts on HST solar arrays and the debris and meteoroids population
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2005
|Hypervelocity impacts on HST solar arrays and the debris and meteoroids population
Online Contents | 2005
|TIBKAT | 2009
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