Debris/Micrometeoroid Impacts and Synergistic Effects on Spacecraft Materials
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E. Grossman, I. Gouzman, and R. Verker Abstract In the last 40 years, the increased space activity created a new form of space environment of hypervelocity objects—space debris—that have no functional use. The space debris, together with naturally occurring ultrahigh velocity meteoroids, presents a significant hazard to spacecraft. Collision with space debris or meteoroids might result in disfunction of external units such as solar cells, affecting materials properties, contaminating optical devices, or destroying satellites. The collision normally results in the formation of additional debris, increasing the hazard for future missions. The hypervelocity debris effect is studied by retrieving materials from space or by using ground simulation facilities. Simulation facilities, which include the light gas gun and Laser Driven Flyer methods, are used for studying the materials degradation due to debris impact. The impact effect could be accelerated when occurring simultaneously with other space environment components, such as atomic oxygen, ultraviolet, or x-ray radiation. Understanding the degradation mechanism might help in developing materials that will withstand the increasing hazard from the space debris, allowing for longer space missions. The large increase in space debris population and the associated risk to space activity requires significant measures to mitigate this hazard. Most current efforts are being devoted to prevention of collisions by keeping track of the larger debris and avoiding formation of new debris.
Introduction The space environment is characterized by both naturally occurring and artificial objects, the former being meteoroids and the latter being orbital debris. Meteoroids are solid matter moving in interplanetary space originating from both cometary and asteroidal sources. They are made primarily of a conglomeration of ice particles and higher density minerals or iron.1 In addition to the natural population of meteoroids, there is a growing amount of matter left in orbit by humans. Since the beginning of human activity in space, thousands of space vehicles have been launched to space. Of all the artificial satellites now circling the Earth, less than
5% are operational. The remainder of space debris is dead satellites, spent rocket stages, discarded equipment, and fragments from satellite breakups.2 Some of these objects will remain in orbit for hundreds of years and present a potential hazard for functioning satellites. The recovery of several spacecraft in the last few decades has offered information concerning the directionality of the low Earth orbit (LEO) meteoroids and fluxes of space debris.3,4 Recovered spacecraft and spacecraft’s parts include one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s solar arrays (retrieved in 1993) and thermal blankets, as well as the European
MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin
Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) (also retrieved in 1993).5 The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) provided a huge collection of the impact data that was retu
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