Hypervelocity impact on honeycomb target structures: Experiments and modeling

This paper reviews some experimental and modeling works carried out at the CEG on hypervelocity ballistic properties of honeycomb structures representative of satellites structural bodies. Honeycomb structural panels were considered for HVI experiments using CEG's Persephone two-stage light gas gun in order to provide reference data to assess the Ouranos simulation software that was then used intensively during the second phase of the study. A ballistic limit equation (BLE) derived from Christiansen's equation was fitted for projectile velocities ranging from 2 to 10 km/s under normal and oblique impacts. In case of perforation, when the projectile diameter is greater than the critical perforation diameter, particle clouds orientation and amplitude in the plane of impact have been characterised and modeled analytically for inclusion within a global vulnerability software.