Experimental hypervelocity impact effects on simulated planetesimal materials

Experimental results are presented from a series of hypervelocity impact tests on simulated comet and asteroid materials for the purpose of characterizing their response to hypervelocity kinetic energy impacts. Nine tests were conducted at the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) S1 Range Facility on ice, rock, and iron target samples using a spherical 2.39 mm diameter aluminum impactor at impact velocities of from 7.6 to 8.4 km/sec. The test objectives were to collect target response phenomenology data on cratering, momentum deposition and enhancement, target fragmentation, and material response under hypervelocity impact loading conditions. A carefully designed ballistic pendulum was used to measure momentum deposition into the targets. Observations and measurements of the impacted samples provide important insights into the response of these materials to kinetic energy impacts, especially in regards to unexpectedly large measured values of momentum enhancement to some of the targets. Such information is required to allow us to successfully deflect or fragment comets or asteroids which might someday be detected on collision trajectories with Earth.