Europlanet Distributed Research and Technology Infrastructure (RTI) Facility – Open University (OU) All-Axis Light Gas Gun (AALGG) Impact Facility
Average Transnational Access (TA) visit: 5 days
Preferred timeframe for TA visits: April/May and December 2026
The All-Axis Light Gas Gun Impact Facility is a two-stage light gas gun, capable of firing 50 μm – 4 mm projectiles (spheres, cylinders or buckshot powders) at velocities up to ~6 km/s. Its unique capability of rotating between horizontal and vertical allows for the flexible option of two different target chambers and impact experiments into loosely consolidated materials/powders.
The small target chamber can accommodate targets up to ~19 cm in radial diameter, for impacts horizontally, vertically, and intermediate angles by tilting the target.
The larger target chamber, for vertical firing only, can accommodate targets up to ~80 cm in diameter, along with supporting fixtures and equipment, ideal for testing whole systems or spacecraft assembly.
Instrumentation includes:
- Projectile time of flight systems for velocity measurement.
- High Speed Camera frames showing a projectile impacting a surface and generating an ejecta cloud out of the back of the target.
- High Speed Camera frames of a 2 mm stainless steel projectile impacting a target at 3.5 km/s
- High-speed cameras (Photron & Phantom) for recording projectile flight or impact processing
- CAVILUX HF 640 Laser system for optimising schlieren and shadowgraphy and imaging impact flashes.
- High-speed pyrometer.
- Head-space gas sampling.
- Portholes for target viewing.
- Feedthroughs for target cryogenic cooling, heating, electronic connections (e.g., BNC and DB), and any others as needed.
Contact
You must get in touch with the host facility (email the Facility Lead with the Administrative Contact in cc) to discuss the technical feasibility of your proposal before submitting an application. If you do not contact the host, your proposal will not be approved.
Lead Facility Contact: Manish Patel, School of Physical Sciences, Robert Hooke Building, Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA. Manish.Patel@open.ac.uk
Administrative Contact: Louise Thomas. Louise.Thomas@open.ac.uk
Images
Publications
- Piccirillo et al (2025) “A light dust shield, including aerogel, for DISC instrument on board ESA’s Comet Interceptor mission: Numerical simulations and Ballistic Limit Equation” CEAS Space Journal.
- Della Corte et al (2025) “Performance assessment of an innovative light and compact dust shield for DISC onboard Comet Interceptor/ESA space probes” International Journal of Impact Engineering. 195:105146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2024.105146.
- Piccirillo et al (2024) “A Light Dust Shield, Including Aerogel, for Space Applications: The Study Case for Disc – Part of the Payload Selected for the Esa/Comet Interceptor Space Mission.” International Journal of Impact Engineering.
- Della Corte et al. (2023). DISC-the dust impact sensor and counter on-board Comet Interceptor: Characterization of the dust coma of a dynamically new comet. Advances in Space Research, 71(8), pp.3457-3467.
- Patel et al. (2019). The transfer of unsterilized material from Mars to Phobos: laboratory tests, modelling and statistical evaluation. Life Sciences in Space Research, 23 pp. 112–134. “
