Composite, Grid-Stiffened Panel Design
Due to weight and cost goals, a grid-stiffened panel concept is being used for redesign of a structural component on the Minotaur OSP space launch vehicle. By designing the structural panels to carry operational loads past the point of initial buckling (local post-buckling), the resulting grid stiffened panel concept is lighter and 30% less costly to manufacture than other design candidates such as the existing honeycomb sandwich panel concept flown today.