Meso-scale modeling of hypervelocity impact on spacecraft foam-core sandwich panels

In a typical satellite bus, most impact-sensitive equipment is situated in the enclosure of the structural sandwich panels. Being the most commonly used elements of satellite structures, these panels form the satellite’s shape and are primarily designed to resist launching loads and provide attachment points for satellite subsystems [1]. With low additional weight penalties, their intrinsic ballistic performance can often be upgraded to the level required for orbital debris protection [ 2]. Consequently, assessing the orbital debris impact survivability of satellites requires the availability of predictive techniques and hypervelocity impact (HVI) simulation models for sandwich panels, which are capable of accounting for various impact conditions and design parameters.