Subcatastrophic

Because small impacts are much more numerous than large ones, these subcatastrophic collisions may be an important contributing factor in the evolution of small strength-dominated satellites. Even for gravity-dominated satellites, subcatastrophic collisions could be very important for the evolution of the satellites' surface geology.

Force-displacement plot of a cervical facet capsule failure intension, illustrating the joint failure event and subcatastrophic failures. Also shown are images of the joint's configuration at these failures. Of particular interest are the subcatastrophic failures, in which the overall mechanical integrity is maintained and there are no obvious geometric changes or discontinuities in the capsular ligament.