ECSS-E-HB-32-26A, SPACE ENGINEERING: SPACECRAFT MECHANICAL LOADS ANALYSIS HANDBOOK (19-FEB-2013)

ECSS-E-HB-32-26A, SPACE ENGINEERING: SPACECRAFT MECHANICAL LOADS ANALYSIS HANDBOOK (19-FEB-2013)., The ECSS-E-HB-32-26 “Spacecraft Mechanical Loads Analysis Handbook” has been developed with the aim to harmonize methodologies, procedures and practices currently applied for the conduct of spacecraft and payloads loads analysis. It makes available to the European Space Community a set of well proven methods, procedures and guidelines for the prediction and assessment of structural design loads and for the evaluation of the test loads. In particular, recent advances in the area of structural dynamics and vibrations, in both methodology and performance, have the potential to make spacecraft system analysis and testing more effective from technical, cost, and hardware safety points of view. However, application of advanced analysis methods varies among the Space Agencies and their contractors. Identification and refinement of the best of these methodologies and implementation approaches has been an objective of the Working Group. The handbook is intended to be a practical guide rather than a theoretical treatise. The emphasis is on dynamic environments of spacecraft, however other mechanical environments are addressed and often the principles are broad enough to be applicable in many cases to launch vehicles as well. It is assumed that the reader has a general knowledge of spacecraft structures and structural dynamics without necessarily being an expert in these disciplines. This first edition represents a collection of contributions by a number of engineers from throughout the European Space Community. It reflects the insight gained from their practical experience. The contributions have been harmonised and the handbook completed by the “harmonization team”. The level of treatment varies among topics, depending on the issues each author feels is critical and the overall assessment performed by the harmonization team concerning the level of detail in each topic that is important to the loads analysis process. The book is not intended as a selfstanding textbook since in some cases it is rather complementary to other ECSS documents and more in general to textbooks and publications on spacecraft structures and structural dynamics. It can be a key tool for spacecraft designers, system and structural engineers who need to find out more about mechanical loads analysis and for those in charge of developing requirements and specifications.