Flexible and deployable meteoroid/debris shielding for spacecraft

The penetration resistance of various flexible multi-layer shielding concep ts has been assessed in hypervelocity impact (HVI) tests at NASA Johnson Sp ace Center (JSC) and at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The shields te sted consist of 3 to 4 spaced bumpers made of ceramic cloth (Nextel(TM)) an d a rear wall composed of high-strength cloth (Kevlar(TM). Low-density poly urethane foam is used between bumper layers and rear wall to deploy the bum pers after the shield is delivered to orbit and maintain bumper standoff wh ile on-orbit. Ballistic limit equations have been derived from the HVI test results. These equations are being used to size shielding for an inflatabl e module, which is planned for potential use on Space Station. (C) 1999 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.