Penetration of steel projectiles through finite-thickness ice targets

A single-stage gas-driven setup is developed, which allows 0.5-kg projectiles to be accelerated to velocities of the order of 1200 m/s. Experiments with penetration of steel projectiles into a massive ice target are performed. The experimental data are compared with the results of computations performed by the REACTOR software system and numerical calculations of destruction of a finite-thickness ice target under the impact of one projectile and several projectiles. It is demonstrated that an impact of a steel ring onto a finite-thickness ice target leads to knock-out of the maximum volume of ice and almost complete loss of the kinetic energy of the ring.