Cinzia Giacomuzzo

• Phd in Space Sciences and Technologies
• Technician at University of Padua

In-space satellites fragmentation events contribute to the continuous growth of man-made debris. Observations of these events can provide limited information on the number and characteristics of the generated fragments, as only the largest ones can be detected with ground instrumentation. Numerical simulations replicating in-orbit fragmentation can...

In the next years, the space debris population is expected to progressively grow due to in-space collisions and break-up events; in addition, anti-satellite tests can further affect the debris environment by generating large clouds of fragments. The simulation of these events allows identifying the main parameters affecting fragmentation and obtain...

A large fraction of spacecraft external surfaces or appendages often consists of solar arrays, which can be subjected to space debris impacts as in the case of the Sentinel 1 A event of August 2016. Therefore, it is of interest to understand how solar arrays respond to hypervelocity impacts and to investigate the generated fragments population. In...

In the last decades, carbon-fiber-reinforced composite plates (CFRPs) have been widely employed for various structural applications on board spacecraft. Compared to metals, CFRPs present different mechanical properties related to the anisotropy of the fibers; this can strongly influence the response of CFRPs to hypervelocity impacts. In this work,...

Space debris represent a threat to satellites in orbit around Earth. In the case of impact, satellites can be subjected to damage spanning from localized craterization to subsystem failure, to complete loss of the vehicle; large collision events may lead to fragmentation of the spacecraft. Simulating and testing debris impacts may help in understan...

Satellite breakup models rely on laboratory tests and in-space collision observations; current models can match fragments distributions generated by traditional satellites but may need to be improved for small spacecraft and modern satellites employing new configurations and materials. In the last years, ground tests have been employed to assess th...

High energy in-space collisions may lead to the catastrophic fragmentation of entire spacecraft. Current empirical models employed to predict spacecraft breakup are based on ground experiments and observation of debris cloud generated by collision events. Due to the continuous growth of the number of resident objects orbiting the Earth and the risk...

Hypervelocity impacts involving big objects in space are expected to occur more frequently in the next years, generating a significant number of new debris. In this context, understanding the physical mechanisms involved in orbital collisions and modelling space debris production after fragmentation are fundamental prerequisites to predict the long...

Satellites breakup models are based on observations of in-space events and on impact tests performed in ground facilities. In the last years the scientific community showed a growing interest in updating such models to include the influence of modern spacecraft design and divers materials in satellites breakup. In this context, an impact test was p...

This paper describes a set of numerical simulations of hypervelocity collisions involving the ESA LOFT spacecraft, with CubeSat impactors ranging from 1U to 48U and diverse collision scenarios. The study was done with the purpose to investigate (1) the transition between sub-catastrophic and catastrophic collision with increasing impactor's kinetic...

The ever-increasing number of earth-orbiting spacecraft and related space junk is resulting in a dramatic rise in the risk of space debris impacting and damaging satellites and thereby negatively affecting the regular execution of several services provided by space-borne infrastructures. In the past years, the satellite market experienced a paradig...

In recent years, innovative processes such as additive manufacturing are finding application in the satellite industry, allowing solutions of which implementation could have been difficult or expensive using traditional manufacturing techniques. In the framework of the EU H2020 ReDSHIFT project, new 3D printed shields were developed for microsatell...

This paper provides a general description of a new Collision Simulation Tool (CST) to model the consequences of orbital impacts involving large debris and satellites, with the aim to predict fragments distributions in case of sub-catastrophic and catastrophic impacts. The new tool is being developed in the framework of the ESA contract “Numerical s...

Additive manufacturing is recently finding application in the satellites industry, allowing solutions whose implementation could have been difficult or expensive using traditional productive techniques. In the framework of the EU H2020 ReDSHIFT project, new 3D printed shields were developed for microsatellites protection: (1) a multi-shock panel co...

The Collision Simulation Tool developed at the University of Padova aims to predict fragments distributions in case of subcatastrophic and catastrophic impacts by modelling the consequences of orbital impacts involving large debris and satellites. CST makes possible to model a large variety of collision scenarios involving complex systems such as e...

In recent years, innovative processes such as additive manufacturing are finding application in the satellites industry, allowing solutions whose implementation could have been difficult or expensive using traditional manufacturing techniques. In the framework of the EU H2020 ReDSHIFT project, new 3D printed shields were developed for microsatellit...

This paper provides a general description of a new Collision Simulation Tool (CST) to model the consequences of orbital impacts involving large debris and satellites, with the aim to predict fragments distributions in case of sub-catastrophic and catastrophic impacts. The new tool is being developed in the framework of the ESA contract "Numerical s...

Electrodynamic tethers represent one of the possible means to de-orbit defunct satellites from Low-Earth-Orbit at end of life. However, tethers survivability to orbital debris impacts is still debated because of the large area they expose to the space environment. Recently, increasing consideration has been given to thin-tape tether geometries, who...

In this study, multifunctional panels with structural and self-healing capabilities were experimentally investigated under high velocity impact conditions. The panels were composed of two layers, one made of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) and the other of a self-healing ionomer, assembled in four different configurations with surface density rangi...

Electrodynamic tethers (EDT) represent one of the possible means to de-orbit defunct satellites from Low-Earth-Orbit at end-of-life. However, considering the large area exposed to the space environment and the consequent high number of debris impacts per unit time, a high tether survivability to orbital debris is of primary importance. This paper p...

All spacecraft in Earth orbit are exposed to the risk of impact with micrometeoroids and orbital debris. When such particles have enough energy to penetrate the hull of the vehicle, clouds of fragments are ejected into spacecraft and they can eventually compromise the functionality of various components encountered in their flight path. Knowledge o...

This paper presents a novel set-up designed to investigate plastic deformation of a metal at high strain rates. The set-up is similar to conventional split Hopkinson pressure bar but the striker bar is eliminated and instead of it a spherical projectile, accelerated to high velocity with a two-stage light-gas gun, impacts and penetrates in a steel...

One of the possible approaches to assess the survivability of spacecraft internal equipment to space debris impacts is to model the debris cloud propagating inside the vehicle after perforation of external walls. In this way, damage to spacecraft components is related to the physical properties of the fragments in the cloud, e.g. mass, trajectory a...

In this study, the high velocity impact behavior of a dual-plate multifunctional panel composed by a carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) laminate and an ionomer thermoplastic resin plate is investigated experimentally. A unique characteristic of this panel is the ability to auto-repair holes generated by impacts, which is possible due to the io...

This paper discusses the impact behavior of a self-healing ionomeric polymer and compares its protection capability against space debris impacts to that of simple aluminium-alloy bumpers. To this end, 14 impact experiments on both ionomer and Al-7075-T6 thin plates with similar surface density were made with 1.5 mm aluminium spheres at velocity bet...

In the framework of a collaboration between the Center of Studies and Activities for Space of the University of Padova (CISAS-UPD) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 45 hypervelocity impact experiments were realised on Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic samples (CFRP) having nominal thickness of 2.3, 3.5 and 4.3 mm. The impact tests we...

This research deals with the investigation of the self-healing behavior after ballistic damage of ethylene-methacrylic acid ionomers and theirs blends with epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). The self-healing capability was studied by ballistic puncture tests under different experimental conditions as sample thickness, bullet speed, diameter and shape...

This research work deals with the investigation of the self-healing behaviour after ballistic damage of ionomers and ionomer based multilayer composites under different impact conditions. The coupling of these polymers with fabric reinforcements or carbon foam has the aim to extend the field of application of such materials. The results obtained sh...

An experimental investigation of hypervelocity impacts on ethylene-methacrylic acid ionomer plates was carried out. Two impact velocities were considered, 2 and 4 km/s. At each velocity three ionomer and three aluminum targets with various thicknesses were impacted by an aluminum sphere. The objective of the experiment was to investigate the protec...

This paper presents a case study of Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris risk assessment for a spacecraft flying in an orbit close to that of the Italian Cosmo-Skymed constellation. The aim of the analysis was to calculate the failure flux impinging on the satellite external shell, taking into account both geometry and materials of satellite surfaces...

This paper presents the results of a set of experiments aimed at discovering the main features of impact-induced vibrations on all-aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels, representative of the GOCE satellite's top floor, which is exposed to the orbital debris environment. The activity focused on the characterization of the vibrations induced in the vic...

evaluation of out-of-plane peak force transmitted during a hypervelocity impact, International Journal of Impact Engineering (2008), doi: 10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2008.07.070 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscr...

Among all possible dangers, hypervelocity impacts on structures produce also a disturbance field, which results from the superimposition of vibrations originating on the impact point and then reflected at the target boundaries. Such disturbance environment is composed by waves of different amplitudes, frequency contents, speeds and directions of pr...

In order to analyze the propagation of shocks due to hypervelocity impact of micrometeoroids and space debris on spacecrafts, it was necessary to analyze the high-frequency shock-propagation-dynamic on complex structures representative of real spacecraft structure. Objective of this research is the GOCE satellite due to its highly accurate accelero...

Impact processes influence the surface evolution of the solid bodies in the Solar System, as asteroids or comets. The better understanding of these phenomena can improve the interpretation of remote sensing data from forthcoming missions. In order to complement and to extend the available data on hypervelocity impacts on porous targets to ranges of...

This paper presents the results of hypervelocity impact experiments that were carried out at CISAS Impact Facility onto aluminum bumpers cooled down to −120 °C with liquid nitrogen and to −60 °C with solid carbon dioxide. The thickness of the targets was 0.8, 1, 2 and 3.17 mm, the diameter of the spherical projectiles was 1.5, 1.9, 2.3 and 2.9 mm a...

This paper presents an overview of the hypervelocity impact test campaign ongoing in the frame of the ESA contract “spacecraft disturbances from hypervelocity impact”. The project aims at analyzing the propagation of shocks due to hypervelocity impacts from the external shell of a spacecraft to its internal components. The object of the study is th...

The selection of candidate inflatable structures for future manned space exploration is driven by the materials' resistance to the hostile space environment. After a detailed analysis of the system level requirements, a thorough characterization of innovative flexible materials with proper structural and environmental performance is being performed...

We present an experimental study of impact cratering and fragmentation processes onto low density materials by means of high velocity impact experiments using a two-stage light-gas gun, the impact facility of CISAS "G. Colombo" of the University of Padova (http://cisas.unipd.it/lgg/lgg.html). The goal of our experiments is to obtain a better compre...

A deeper understanding of impact processes is needed to increase our knowledge of the surface evolution of the solid bodies in the Solar System and to allow remote sensing data from forthcoming missions as Smart1 MarsExpress VenusExpress Cassini Huygens Rosetta to be correctly interpreted Furthermore impact fragmentation and collisional breakup pro...

We report on an impact hypervelocity experiments aimed at the characterization of the impact flash generated by an impact on analogues of planetary surfaces. The tests have been run at the impact facility of the CISAS "G. Colombo" of the University of Padova, using the two-stage light gas gun (http://cisas.unipd.it/lgg/lgg.html). This work is direc...

A better understanding of the impact processes is needed for the analysis of the surface evolution and the collisional evolution of the minor bodies in the Solar System as well as for the interpretation of observed data resulting from space missions such as Cassini/Huygens, Rosetta, Deep Impact and Dawn. We report on hypervelocity impact experimen...