Speaker
Description
Design-for-Demise methodologies are becoming increasingly important in spacecraft development as regulatory requirements and casualty risk constraints continue to evolve. In this context, structural components must simultaneously satisfy mechanical performance requirements during mission operations while maximizing their destructibility during atmospheric re-entry. This paper presents a newly developed topology optimization tool dedicated to demise-oriented spacecraft design.
Unlike conventional structural optimization approaches, where the objective function is primarily driven by mass reduction and stiffness performance, the proposed methodology incorporates additional geometric criteria specifically selected for their positive influence on demise behavior. These criteria include local curvature radius, thickness distribution, and geometric features promoting favorable shock-wave interactions and enhanced aerothermal loading during re-entry. By coupling structural optimization with demise-oriented metrics, the tool enables the generation of architectures that retain operational structural integrity while facilitating thermal degradation and fragmentation under re-entry conditions.
The developed framework combines thermo-mechanical constraints with aerothermal indicators derived from high-enthalpy flow analyses, allowing the optimization process to account for both in-flight mechanical requirements and destructive re-entry phenomena. Particular attention is given to the influence of localized geometric features on heat concentration mechanisms, shock interactions, and structural weakening processes.
The objectives of this work are twofold. The first is the development of a numerical design-assistance tool capable of supporting engineers during the early phases of spacecraft structural design. The second is the extraction of practical Design-for-Demise guidelines applicable to commonly used spacecraft structural elements. The study identifies geometric trends and design strategies that improve demise performance while maintaining acceptable structural efficiency.
Preliminary optimization results on brackets and bipod support structures demonstrate the potential of topology-driven demise design approaches to reduce surviving debris risk without major penalties on structural functionality. The proposed methodology represents a significant step toward the integration of demise-oriented criteria into future spacecraft structural optimization processes.