Some mechanical aspects of the LAPLander experiment development

The LAPLander project aims to demonstrate a small recovery system for an ejectable sounding rocket payload. The system is being designed and built by a group of KTH students and has been selected by ESA for a flight test on board the REXUS-8 sounding rocket, which will be launched from Esrange, Kiruna, in March 2010. The payload will be ejected from the rocket and then undergo a free fall. During descent, it will deploy a structure combining airbags and parachute in order to brake the descent and be protected at landing impact. The airbags are filled up with gas CO2, which is stored at high pressure in small cartridges. After impact, the LAPLander will send its position and be recovered. This document reports about some aspects of mechanical design and testing. After an overall presentation of the project, a simulation of the aerodynamic heating and the consequent thermal insulation design are presented. Then are listed a number of resistance and manufacturing tests that were performed to find a suitable fabric for the airbags. Follows a discussion about a test where