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A Brief Overview of the Effects of Impact Damage to Rocket Motor CasesThis Technical Memorandum (TM) presents pertinent results from past experimental work concerning impact damage to composite rocket motor cases. A rocket motor case in this TM refers to filament-wound pressure vessels of a substantial size intended to be used for launch vehicles, such as the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. In the early 1980s, as carbon fiber composites were becoming increasingly used on aircraft, concerns about the effects of foreign object impact damage grew, since the compressive strength properties of these composites could be severely affected by impact damage. The tensile properties were not as affected by foreign object impact damage which is fortunate for rocket motor cases as they are driven by tensile loads (burst strength). While great improvements to both carbon fibers and resins have resulted in far superior toughness values compared to the early generation of carbon/epoxy systems, the stigma of composite rocket motor cases being easily damaged and the burst strength compromised persists.
Document ID
20205007139
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
A. T. Nettles (Marshall Space Flight Center Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, United States)
Date Acquired
September 2, 2020
Publication Date
September 2, 2020
Subject Category
Composite Materials
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 585777.08.10.10.10.01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Technical Review
Single Expert
Keywords
impact damage
Rocket motor case
burst strength
review
launch vehicle

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