From sea sponge to space: Compressive characterisation of a novel lattice composite architecture for aerospace applications

Composite shell structures have increasingly been applied within the space sector due to the high material specific strength and stiffness, however their high cost and susceptibility to imperfections increases the cost of spacecraft components. Meanwhile, nature has many examples of lattice structures achieving high compression performance with efficient use of material. The use of a bio-inspired lattice structure was applied within a rocket payload fairing adapter to investigate the performance of natural lattice structures with high performance engineering materials. Non-linear finite element analysis was combined with mechanical testing to test the performance of a sea-sponge lattice against a conventional lattice shell. This was analysed to investigate material and mass savings possible.