Experimental studies of the cratering process in porous ice targets

The electrothermal accelerator of the Fachgebiet Raumfahrttechnik at the Technical University of Munich was used to perform impact experiments on porous ice targets. The projectiles were Nylon cylinders of 25 mg mass, accelerated to velocities between 0.9 an 3.8 km/s. The targets were produced by blowing water into LN2 using an airbrush gun as used in the target production of the KOSI experiments. The diameter and depth of the resulting craters were measured, as well as the mass loss of the target. The ejected crater mass is consistent with the ejected mass of craters on compact ice. The volume is larger by the ratio of the densities of the targets. (C) 2001 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.