Elastic response of a launch vehicle-payload-fairing to separation shock

Elastic response of a launch vehicle heat shield or payload-fairing is presented as nodal displacements using finite element modeling and mode superposition approach. Free vibration analysis is carried out using the general purpose structural analyses program FEAST, developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and elastic responses are subsequently obtained. Energy absorbed by the vibrating system is taken as the sum of the maximum kinetic energies of the participating modes. Elastic responses are found to be large enough to be considered for clearance studies of heat shield. In addition, substantial amount of energy is absorbed in vibrations.