STRUCTURAL VERIFICATION OF ISS PAYLOADSLAUNCHED IN PROGRESS AND SOYUZ

摘要

The European Space Agency (ESA) in cooperation withmember states develop many payloads for what areknown as Soyuz Missions within the past three years.These payloads are launched within either the Progressor Soyuz module aboard the Soyuz rocket and operatedonboard the International Space Station (ISS) by anESA astronaut. The structural verification of thesepayloads is demanding, not for difficulty in exoticstructural designs but for determining the verificationmethods themselves.Payloads developed for Soyuz Missions must meet theenvironments defined in the Soyuz or Progressrequirements, which strictly follow the prototypedevelopment approach. ESA payloads must also meetthe ESA safety requirements, which are based on theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) verification approach. The verificationapproach used for Soyuz Mission payloads combinethese sometimes-conflicting approaches to satisfy bothsets of requirements.This paper summarises the environmental requirementsfor Progress and Soyuz and the safety requirements forISS payloads regarding mechanical design aspects. Thedescription of the preferred prototype verificationapproach includes a definition of the applicable designloads, random vibration and shock qualification tests,structural analysis requirements, application of fracturecontrol and interface responsibility and verifications.