Modeling Shock Attenuation in Spacecraft Panels

Space Systems/Loral Engineering, 2008-09

Liaison(s): Adam Maher, Mark Zanella
Advisor(s): Sam DiMaggio
Students(s): Vatche Attarian (TL-F), Caroline Fernandez, Liz Flannery, Alex Krause (S), Shannon McKenna (TL-S), Christopher Nield (F)

Space Systems/Loral, a leading aerospace company, designs and manufactures satellites. A better understanding of how shock, or a high frequency event, affects their products will enable more comprehensive design and testing of spacecraft. The team will develop and execute a series of tests including variations in distance, mass and material to evaluate the shock response of a panel. The data gathered from the tests will be analyzed and used to construct empirical models of shock attenuation through panels.