High Velocity Testing - We can perform testing at velocities too high to obtain experimentally. Meteoroids follow interplanetary orbits around the Sun, attaining velocities of up to 42 km/s (for highly elliptical orbits intersecting the Earth's). If you add the 30 km/s orbital velocity of the Earth, meteoroids can attain a theoretical maximum impact velocity of about 72 km/s with a spacecraft in Earth orbit. Man-made orbital debris follow terrestrial orbits and can impact a spacecraft head on in low Earth orbit at a velocity of 15 km/s. These impact velocities can not be achieved in a laboratory, however they can be modeled using hydrocodes.

Investigate Shape Effects - In the lab, we launch spheres and cylinders, but actual debris is not so conveniently shaped. Shape is important, and it is difficult to launch shapes other than spheres and cylinders.

Measure Physical Parameters - Hydrocodes can provide information about pressures, temperatures, stresses, strains, entropy, and other parameters, of any point in the model, at any instant (discreet timestep) during the impact event.

Test Hazardous Materials - Hydrocode modeling of hypervelocity impacts with known hazardous materials is safer than actual testing. In fact, the HITF is concerned with many safety issues when it comes to operating the HITF light gas guns. If testing can be done via hydrocode computer simulations, there is no safety issue.