Investigation and comparison between new satellite impact test results and NASA standard breakup model

This paper summarizes two new satellite impact tests conducted in order to investigate on the outcome of low- and hypervelocity impacts on two identical target satellites. The first experiment was performed at a low velocity of 1.5 km/s using a 40-g aluminum alloy sphere, whereas the second experiment was performed at a hypervelocity of 4.4 km/s using a 4-g aluminum alloy sphere, by a two-stage light gas gun. To date, approximately 1500 fragments from each impact test have been collected for detailed analysis. Each piece was analyzed based on the method used in the NASA standard breakup model 2000 revision. The detailed analysis will conclude (1) the similarity in mass distribution of fragments between low- and hypervelocity impacts encourages the development of a general-purpose mass-based distribution model applicable for a wide impact velocity range, and (2) the difference in area-to-mass ratio distribution between the impact experiments and the NASA standard breakup model suggests to describe the area-to-mass ratio by a bi-normal distribution.