Aerospace Knowledge and Technology Journal

Aerospace Knowledge and Technology Journal

Method for analyzing design trade-offs in the three-objective optimization of a composite space capsule: comparison of carbon-epoxy and glass-epoxy

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
hassan Naseh 1
Hadiseh Karimaei 1
Mohammad Lesani Fadafan 2
1 Aerospace Research Institute, Ministry of science, research and technology,
2 Aerospace Research Institute, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology
Abstract
Designing composite space capsules requires balancing structural, aerodynamic, and mission requirements, as improving one performance metric often compromises others. Thus, multi-objective optimization is essential for identifying design trade-offs. This study investigates three constrained three-objective optimization problems for a composite space capsule with carbon–epoxy and glass–epoxy shells. The objectives are: (1) minimizing total mass while maximizing internal volume and static stability margin; (2) maximizing natural frequency, buckling safety factor, and volumetric efficiency; and (3) minimizing structural deformation and ballistic coefficient while maximizing internal volume. We conducted optimization using a single-level multidisciplinary design optimization framework and a genetic algorithm. We analyzed solutions using three-dimensional Pareto fronts and parallel coordinate plots. Results reveal trade-offs among objectives in all three problems. Pareto-front comparisons show that, across most of the design space, the carbon–epoxy capsule has lower mass, greater stiffness, a higher buckling safety factor, and a higher natural frequency than the glass–epoxy variant, while maintaining comparable aerodynamic performance and meeting mission requirements.
Keywords
Space capsule
Tri-objective optimization
Composite
Subjects
Aerospace Knowledge and Technology Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 October 2026