Sierra Space, a leader in commercial space technology, recently conducted successful hypervelocity impact trials at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to optimize the structural integrity of its Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitat. The goal of the testing was to refine a shield for the company’s expandable space station structure to withstand impacts from hazards in orbit.
The shield, made from a unique fabric material called Vectran®, provides a lightweight yet durable alternative to traditional rigid structures. Using a two-stage light gas gun, the Sierra Space and NASA teams simulated micrometeoroid and orbital debris impacts to improve the habitat’s shielding performance while saving on mass, crucial for space missions.
Shawn Buckley, Vice President of Space Destination Systems at Sierra Space, stated that this collaboration with NASA brings them closer to launching the LIFE habitat into orbit for long-duration space missions. The impact testing, conducted under a Space Act Agreement, used NASA’s light gas gun to simulate high-speed impacts to materials in a vacuum chamber to replicate space conditions.
The testing involved firing experimental shots at materials to determine the most effective shield configuration, with adjustments made in real-time based on immediate results. This hands-on approach, coupled with close collaboration with NASA, allowed for rapid decisions to refine the shield design and enhance the habitat’s resilience to MMOD threats in orbit.
Sierra Space remains committed to advancing space habitat technology and exploration, with the successful testing representing a significant milestone in developing a reliable, MMOD-resistant solution for future space missions. Further testing will continue to refine the LIFE habitat for its first launch into low-Earth orbit.
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