IVA Hatch Launch and On-Orbit Operational Environment Structural Analysis

The Space Home is a portfolio of standardized products developed by Thales Alenia Space Italia, designed to support both deep-space exploration and low-Earth orbit (LEO) missions ensuring safe, habitable environments with life support, radiation protection, and sustainability. Using proven technologies, SH is set to play a key role in future lunar and Martian explorations, enabling autonomous habitats for long-duration human presence in challenging environments. This thesis focuses on conducting a detailed structural analysis of the SH IVA Hatch under the combined operational conditions of launch and on-orbit environments. The Hatch, a critical element within the Space Home portfolio designed for intravehicular activity, must ensure safe and reliable passage between pressurized compartments and docking modules. To meet these requirements, the hatch plate design was updated based on the findings of the Preliminary Design Review in December 2023, incorporating key geometric modifications to address the lack of stiffness envisaged during the PDR analysis. A comprehensive CAD design update was performed to reflect these changes, followed by a detailed static analysis of the axial bulkhead using the Finite Element Method to validate the structural design and performance leakage. The study aims to evaluate the plate’s ability to withstand mechanical stresses and pressure differentials encountered during operational scenarios, thus validating structural integrity and safety. Furthermore, free-free and hard-mounted modal analyses were conducted to assess the plate's natural frequencies and stiffness. Additionally, a non-linear static analysis was performed on the combined plate and bulkhead model to account for the nonlinear elastomer seal material between them. This thesis' results contribute to the ongoing development of the IVA Hatch Plate within the SH portfolio, ensuring that it meets the rigorous demands of diverse space environments and can be reliably integrated across multiple mission platforms.