Survivability Analyses for ESA's Comet Interceptor Mission

Comet Interceptor is the first F-Class mission of the European Space Agency, selected in 2019 within the Cosmic Vision Programme. Its primary objective is to perform the first-ever in situ exploration of a dynamically new comet — an object originating from the Oort Cloud that has never entered the inner solar system and is therefore expected to preserve pristine material from the early stages of Solar System formation. Unlike previously studied comets, which have undergone significant evolutionary changes due to prolonged exposure to solar radiation, this target will offer unprecedented insights into the chemical and isotopic composition of the protosolar nebula. In this context, an assessment of the spacecraft's survivability against hypervelocity impacts from particles present in both interplanetary and cometary environments is required. The present thesis, written as part of an internship carried out at OHB Italia S.p.A. (the prime contractor for the mission), investigates this aspect by first providing an overview of the physics of hypervelocity impacts and the state-of-the-art mitigation techniques at the structural design level. Additionally, theoretical relations used to evaluate the performance of such protective structures are reviewed. Given the peculiarities of the cometary dust environment, which led to the design of a dedicated Stuffed Whipple shield, the methodology employed to derive its ballistic limit equations is presented. This approach combines experimental data and hydrocode simulations to refine existing models. Furthermore, a Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris risk assessment is conducted for the interplanetary environment using ESA's MASTER software and Airbus Systema (Debris module). For the cometary approach phase, the study relies on the ESA Engineering Dust Coma Model to characterize the environment and assess the associated risks. Finally, the last section discusses potential advancements in the analytical estimation of hypervelocity impact effects, highlighting the limitations of existing models and identifying key areas for further research. A possible pathway is proposed to improve the predictive capabilities and reliability of impact assessment methodologies.