Hypervelocity Impact Testing and Analysis

Light-gas gun ranges for hypervelocity testing.

The hypervelocity impact facility at UDRI has 2 two-stage, light-gas gun ranges for hypervelocity testing at velocities up to 24,600 ft/sec (7.5 km/sec).  A number of different projectile shapes have been launched for hypervelocity impact studies including spheres, discs, rods, cubes, and others. Spheres ranging from 1.0 mm to 19 mm with impact velocities up to 7.5 km/sec are used to simulate orbital debris threats to spacecraft structures. Typical projectiles for lower velocity impacts below 3 km/sec include long rod penetrators, and segmented and extensible rod penetrators for armor/anti-armor testing.  Test range instrumentation includes flash radiography, laser/photodetector stations for impact velocity measurements, pressure transducers, strain gages, and streak cameras.

Flash radiography of a debris cloud produced by a spherical aluminum projectile impacting a thin aluminum shield at hypervelocity.