Numerical Assessment of the Laser Shock Analogy for Hypervelocity Impacts on Composite and Hybrid Spacecraft Shielding

This study numerically investigates the analogy between laser shock (LS) and projectile-based hypervelocity impact (HVI) for composite and hybrid spacecraft shielding materials and proposes a methodology for determining the LS parameters corresponding to a given HVI event. Numerical HVI models were developed in LS-DYNA and validated against published experimental data for two shielding configurations: (a) a CFRP bumper and (b) an Al/CFRP/Al/CFRP/Al hybrid shield, with emphasis on crater formation and damage morphology. An LS model was subsequently calibrated through iterative adjustment of the pressure amplitude and pulse duration to reproduce the damage induced by HVI. The ablation pressure scaling laws of Grün, Dautray, Pirri, and Phipps were then inverted to estimate the laser intensity and energy required for experimental implementation. The identified loading reproduced the HVI damage state in terms of crater morphology, hole size, delamination, and damaged area. The through-thickness stress wave fields, which did not enter the identification, were also found comparable, though the correspondence established remains one of damage characteristics rather than a demonstration of equivalence of the transient response. The predicted laser intensities (310–2868 GW/cm2) and energies (18–1176 J) fall within the validated range of the Grün and Phipps scaling laws and the capabilities of existing laser facilities, indicating that the configurations examined are experimentally accessible.