  Material deformation and failure under impact loading is a subject of active
investigation in space science and often requires very specialized equipment
for testing. In this work, we present the design, operational analysis and
application of a low-velocity ($\sim 100$ m/s) projectile impact framework for
evaluating the deformation and failure of space-grade materials. The system is
designed to be modular and easily adaptable to various test geometries, while
enabling accurate quantitative evaluation of plastic flow. Using coupled
numerical methods and experimental techniques, we first establish an operating
procedure for the system. Following this, its performance in two complementary
impact configurations is demonstrated using numerical and experimental
analysis. In the first, a Taylor impact test is performed for predicting the
deformed shape of a cylindrical projectile impinging on a rigid substrate. In
the second, deformation of a plate struck by a rigid projectile is evaluated.
In both cases, physics-based models are used to interpret the resulting fields.
We present a discussion of how the system may be used both for material
property estimation (e.g., dynamic yield strength) as well as for failure
evaluation (e.g., perforation and fracture) in the same projectile impact
configuration.
