Cobham's Demisable Propellant Tank is the first tank in the
world designed to disintegrate upon re-entry into the atmosphere.
This high performance propellant tank was created for NASA's Global
Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which required tanks to
create non-hazardous debris fields upon re-entry.
The lightweight, aluminum-lined, carbon composite pressure
vessel is qualified to launch with 1,202 lbs of Hydrazine at 400
psig and designed to hold up to 1,600 lbs.
The hand layed-up, autoclave cured skirt integrates the
propellant tank with the rest of the spacecraft structure. The
composite skirt is attached to the tank via an adhesive bond.
Cobham, with its flight heritage in pressurant tanks for cold
gas propulsion, fuel expulsion, and thrust vector control, also
designs pressure vessels that store Xenon propellant.