In their investigation report the Columbia Accident Investigation Board made the following recommendation: "Develop, validate, and maintain physics-based computer models to evaluate Thermal Protection System damage from debris impacts". As part of the Return to Flight effort, and with this recommendation in mind, the Engineering Dynamics Department of Southwest Research Institute developed both analytical and numerical tools capable of predicting the damage produced by a series of foam materials (BX-265, NCFI 24-124, PDL and ablator) and ice impacting different tiles of the Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System (HRSI and LRSILI-900, LI2200, FRCI-12). In developing the tool the "triad approach" was used: tests, numerical simulations and analytical models. All three need to agree to consider the models validated. This paper describes in detail the numerical models used to guide and verify the mathematical model and compares the depth of penetration obtained in the numerical with test results.
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