INFLATABLE SPACE SHIELD STRUCTURE FOR SPACE HABITATION MODULE

The Whipple shield is used in spacecraft as an outer wall structure to protect against micrometeoroids. By increasing the stand-off distance of the Whipple shield and using a multilayered shield structure, it is possible to increase bulletproof performance against micrometeoroids. Due to payload diameter limitations, the Whipple shield's stand-off distance cannot be significantly increased. Increasing the stand-off distance of the Whipple shield reduces the volume inside the spacecraft. To solve this problem, an origami structure in which a multilayer shield expands in a radial direction has been proposed. PE/Epoxy composites have been proposed to realize origami structures. When the PE/Epoxy composites were bent, the resistance to the low-Earth orbit space environment was evaluated and compared with that of the plane PE/Epoxy composites. In order to increase the resistance to the space environment, a method of secondary curing of Kapton and bulletproof fibers together in the flexible part has been proposed. Hypervelocity impact tests were conducted to improve and verify the performance of the proposed inflatable structure. The radiant heat shielding performance of the proposed multilayer structure of ceramic fibers and flexible composites and multi-layer insulation (MLI) was compared, and it was confirmed that the radiant heat shielding performance was comparable to that of MLI. The geometry of the proposed inflatable origami structure was analyzed and the folding pattern was determined. The proposed inflatable origami structure confirmed the diameter reduction effect and improved bulletproof performance compared to the conventional Whipple shielding structure.