Laboratory modelling of an active space experiment using railgun as a launch device

Laboratory modelling of active space experiments is described. To accelerate an impactor, a specially developed electromagnetic railgun capable of accelerating 10-mg cubic impactors to velocities of up to 5.5km/s was used. As targets, different materials, such as ice and moon-like regolith, were emp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inActa astronautica Vol. 135; pp. 63 - 68
Main Authors Poniaev, S.A., Kurakin, R.O., Reznikov, B.I., Rozov, S.I., Zhukov, B.G., Chernyshov, M.V.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elmsford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2017
Elsevier BV
Subjects
Active space experiment
Computer simulation
Hypervelocity impact
Ice
Impactors
Laboratories
Lunar surface
Material testing
Moon
Moon-like material
Railgun
Regolith
Water ice
Railgun
Active space experiment
Moon-like material
Ice
Regolith
Material testing
Hypervelocity impact
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Summary:Laboratory modelling of active space experiments is described. To accelerate an impactor, a specially developed electromagnetic railgun capable of accelerating 10-mg cubic impactors to velocities of up to 5.5km/s was used. As targets, different materials, such as ice and moon-like regolith, were employed. To simulate a collision with a comet, a hypervelocity impact on water ice targets with different densities was performed. To simulate an impact on the Moon's surface, a special method for preparation of regolith targets with the compositions corresponding to the Moon's surface materials was developed. The impact experiments with regoliths of different densities were carried out.
ISSN:0094-5765
1879-2030
DOI:10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.10.014