Issue 15

I. S. Raju et

alii, Frattura ed

Integrità Struttu

rale, 15 (2011)

35-49; DOI: 10

.3221/IGF-ESIS.1

5.05

Fr w

acture ing-lead

mechan ing-ed

ics ana ge pan

lyses o

f the sli

p-side

joggle r

egions

of

els

Iva NA No Ge Ky AT Da NA

tury S. Ra SA Enginee rman F. K neral Dynami ongchan S K Space Div

ju ring and Safe night, Jr. cs Information ong ision, Hampt illips ll Space Fligh e Space Sh tion was ob s phenomen lyses of the e fracture m racture me dge panels.

ty Center, NA

SA Langley

Research Cen

ter, Hampton

, VA

Technology,

Chantilly, VA

on, VA

wn R. Ph SA Marsha

t Center, Hu

ntsville, AL

are made of that experi As part of e conducte

STRACT . Th ating spalla derstand thi chanics ana erview of th YWORDS . F ng leading e

uttle wing-le served near on, a root- slip-side jo echanics an chanics; Str

ading edge the slip-sid cause invest ggle region alyses. ain energy r

consists of e region of igation was s of the ho

panels that the panels conducted. t panels wer

reinforced ence extrem that investi d. This pap

carbon-carb e heating. gation, fract er presents

on. To ure an

A B Co un me ov K E Wi

elease rates

; Re-entry h

eating; On

orbit cold;

Space Shu

ttle;

I N

TRODUCTIO

N

spa spa fro jet des Th env E

ach Spa (RCC). takes p

ce Shuttle O These pane lace during e C coating w aly, a root-ca ciplines such on testing, v rview of the rganized as which the S

rbiter wing is ls are part of ntry into Ea as observed i use investiga as structure ibro-acoustic structural an follows. Fir huttle is subj

comprised o the thermal p rth’s atmosp n the slip-sid tion was con s, materials, n testing, aero d fracture me st, the Shut ected are des

f 22 leading rotection sy here [1]. On e regions of ducted. The on-destructiv loading testi chanics anal tle wing-lead cribed. Nex

edge panels t stem that pro some of th the panels. T root-cause i e evaluation ng, photo-m yses that wer ing-edge con t, the buildin

hat are made tects the win e panels that o understan nvestigation (NDE), aero icrographic i e conducted. figuration is g-block appr

of reinforce gs from extr experience d the reason team consiste thermal, flig nvestigation, presented, oach and ana

d carbon-car eme heating extreme heat s for this coa d of researc ht hardware, etc. This pa and the load lysis models

bon that ing, ting hers arc per ing that

llation of RC llation anom m various dis testing, coup cribes an ove e paper is o ironments to

35