Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle Sunshade O-Ring Seal Technology Program

The ejection of the EKV sunshade cover is a potential single point failure node requiring a high level of confidence in its performance. A detailed understanding of the o-ring design and the possible interactions between the o-ring and sunshade surface is required. Assessing the current EKV sunshade o-ring design and implementation, and evaluating possible alternatives could result in the discovery of an alternative that provides an improvement in the performance and robustness of the o-ring seal and its interactions with the sunshade body/cover interface such that o-ring "sticking" is not an issue or is minimized when the sunshade cover is ejected. The evaluation of potential enhancements to the EKV sunshade o-ring design will primarily focus on minimizing "sticking" and meeting the long-term storage requirements while taking into account contamination and out-gassing effects. Performance of an o-ring is based on its material, geometry, contact surface, and lubrication. By choosing the right material and reducing the contact area the possibility of "sticking" can be reduced or eliminated.