Shuttle Debris Impact Analysis: Postreturn to Flight Real-Time Mission Support
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 3
Abstract
Prior to the Columbia accident, quantitative impact assessment tools were not available to analyze debris impacts onto the Shuttle’s thermal protection system. Following the accident, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommended changes to increase the safety of future shuttle flights; one component was the development of physics-based analytical capabilities to evaluate damage due to debris impacts. This paper will present an overview of real time debris assessment impact analysis conducted by the Boeing Philadelphia Advanced Structural Analysis Impact Analysis Team in support of Space Shuttle missions since Return to Flight, the first mission after the Columbia accident. Specifically, analyses performed in support of missions STS-114, 121 and 117 will be presented. For each of these cases, an overview of the structural and material model development will be provided, and results of each analysis will be presented followed by a discussion of how the results lead into real time mission decisions. This work illustrates the importance of maintaining a physics-based real-time analysis capability as a vital instrument in supporting the safety of future spaceflight missions.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to acknowledge the members of the DYNA team from Boeing Houston, NASA Glenn, and NASA Langley for their support and technical assistance. Specifically, the writers would like to thank Darwin Moon, Mike Dunham, Paul Parker, Matt Mellis, Edwin Fasanella, and Karen Lyle. In addition the writers would like to recognize some earlier analysis efforts contributed by Mark Higgins, Mostafa Rassaian, and Lee Firth from the Boeing Structural Methods and Tools Group in Seattle.
References
Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). (2003). “Report Volume 1.” Rep., Washington, D.C.
Hallquist, J. O. (2006). LS-DYNA theory manual, Livermore Software Technology Corporation, Livermore, Calif.
Livermore Software Technology Corporation (LSTC). (2007). LS-DYNA keyword user’s manual, Version 971, Livermore, Calif.
Rockwell International Space Transportation and Systems Group. (1982). “Thermal protection system material data.” PUB 2543-W REV 5-79, Materials properties manual, Vol. 3.
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© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 11, 2008
Accepted: Jan 22, 2009
Published online: Jun 15, 2009
Published in print: Jul 2009
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