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Detection of microparticle impacts on spacecraft via their plasma effects

Microparticles are one of the most unknown components of the space environment. Their observation and investigation is complicated by their small size and their high velocity. When impacting on a spacecraft surface, a plasma cloud is generated by shock wave and surface ionization processes. This transient cloud of vaporized and ionized particle and surface material, referred to as impact plasma, rapidly expands to the meter scale within microseconds, thereby interacting with spacecraft surface components.

Germany

11-147

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
Simplified models for spacecraft vulnerability assessments in early design phase

The space debris environment poses an ever-increasing risk to spacecraft particularly in low Earth orbits (LEO). Due to limitations of existing vulnerability models, increasing the overall survivability of a spacecraft by enhancing the protection of sensitive parts was not possible in the past. The aim of this study was to adopt and develop methodologies that allow increasing the survivability of a spacecraft by varying individual parameters, e.g. the position of sensitive components or the thickness of component casings.

Germany

30

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft

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