Speaker
Description
In order to improve reduce ground casualty risk on ground, technical solutions need to be identified which promote atmospheric demise of the spacecraft and respective components. One approach is to enable the early opening of external structural elements in order to begin the demise of internal components earlier. Taking into consideration the results of testing of state-of-the-art joining technologies, a broad range of concepts for applications of technologies which would result in earlier joint demise were identified for potential further investigation. This showed a considerable preference towards leveraging the introduced heat and enabling clear and decisive separation. Six of these concepts were then selected and further refined and developed, taking not only design considerations into account but also potential effects on safety, processes, and potential costs. Of these, two part inserts using solder material to enable early melt and release, cleats bonded to the surfaces of the panels, and composite inserts will be developed into breadboard models and undergo a range of tests in order to compare them to current state-of-the-art technologies and assess their demise performance.
