Simulated satellite strike

Snapshot of a simulated collision between a model of the LOFT (Large Observatory For X-ray Timing) satellite and a 12-unit CubeSat, moving with a relative velocity of 11 km/s and hitting at a 32 degree angle. LOFT is a candidate ESA Science mission competing for a launch opportunity in the early 2020s. At the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, colliding objects are simulated at the material level with realistic structural and mechanical properties, represented by a ‘finite element mesh’. These elements are converted into discrete particles as the structure fragments. This allows the simulation of a satellite's structural response to collision and predicts the cloud of impact-generated fragments, as well as its evolution over time.