Analysis of space shuttle accelerometer data

Abstract

Within a ESA programme to optimize the damage tolerance approach to design of Space Shuttle payloads, actual flight data from four Space Shuttle missions have been analysed by NLR. The task was to derive typical mission event load spectra from loadtime accelerometer measurements. The quality of the analog Input data, available to NASA for pre-processing, was such that derivation of valid load spectra could not be done directly. Prior to actual load spectra assessment, relatively complex procedures were necessary to clear the data, i.e. to positively identify valid load extremes and to eliminate erroneous data. Using results of the mission event load spectra assessment, synthesis procedures were developed lateron to establish a representative test load sequence for use in a fatigue testing programme. The paper describes characteristics of input data, signal quality aspects, tools to clear the data and the various data handling steps taken to arrive at the final load spectra. This paper has been prepared for presentation at the 5-th Canadian Sjnnposium on Aerospace Structures and Materials, to be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 14-15 May 1990