Numerical Assessment of the Laser Shock Analogy for Hyper-Velocity Impacts on Composite and Hybrid Spacecraft Shielding

This study numerically investigates the analogy between laser shock (LS) and projec-tile-based hypervelocity impact (HVI) for composite and hybrid spacecraft shielding materials and proposes a methodology for determining the equivalent 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 con-figurations: (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 subse-quently 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. Excellent agreement between the HVI and LS responses was achieved in terms of crater morphology, hole size, de-lamination, and damaged area. The predicted laser intensities (498–1424 GW/cm²) and energies (42–1049 J) fall within the validated range of the Grün and Phipps scaling laws and the capabilities of existing laser facilities, demonstrating that the proposed HVI–LS analogy is both physically consistent and experimentally feasible.