Exploratory comparison of shielding performance of foam-core and corrugated-plate-core sandwich panels at hypervelocity impact

Abstract Over the past two decades, extensive research has demonstrated the effectiveness of foam-core sandwich panels in shielding spacecraft from micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD). This study investigated an alternative solution by comparing the shielding performance of foam-core and corrugated plate-core sandwich panels. Hypervelocity impact tests were conducted using 6-mm aluminum spherical projectiles on both foam-core and corrugated plate-core panel configurations. The results revealed that the corrugated plate core modified the interaction of debris fragments with the rear wall, leading to improved mitigation of hypervelocity impacts. These findings demonstrated the weight efficiency of the corrugated plate core with ballistic inserts for MMOD protection and suggested the need for further research to advance this approach.