Preliminary study on shielding performance of corrugated-plate-core vs. foam-core sandwich panels at hypervelocity impact

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 provides preliminary insights into 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 demonstrate the weight efficiency of the corrugated-plate core with ballistic inserts for MMOD protection and suggest the need for further research to advance this approach.