Impact Resistant Composite Structures for Space Suit Applications

Increasing damage tolerance of lightweight composite structures to impact loads while maintaining leak resistance under pressure is a key performance metric for space suit hard composite components. Aerospace and satellite structures are also driven by damage tolerant design criteria and proposed concepts may enable higher design allowables and lighter weight solutions. Proposed goals will improve performance 4X the current Z2 composite design and enable lighterweight and more robust and leak resistant composite component designs. NASA has recently developed the Z2 space suit but has interest in improving the robustness required for exploration of a planetary surface. The desired improvements will allow for reduced maintenance and provide simple and robust interfaces with the portable life support system. This can potentially also be used for the International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit.

Damage tolerant composite structures are used in many applications, including aerospace, automotive and marine composites, and military platforms. Post-impact mechanical performance drives composite design in these applications, such as Compression after Impact or Open-hole Tension/Compression. Mechanical fastening and joining is also common in many of these applications and resistance to damage propagation at fastener holes promotes long-term durability. Concepts/strategies that increase durability, and post-impact performance while retaining lightweight characteristics are of wide-ranging interest in the composites industry. The proposed full-component Hatch demonstrator will address all these challenges and serve as an technology maturation example for all these markets. More »