Spacecraft damage assessment due to hypervelocity impacts using a micrometeoroid and orbital debris detection system

Abstract

This paper describes the design, construction, and testing of a hypervelocity impact (HVI) detection system for monitoring the occurrence of an impact, the location of the impact, and the resulting damage to a spacecraft. One of the constant dangers emanating from the space environment is the presence of micrometeoroids and space debris. The energy associated with these hypervelocity impacts is sufficient to penetrate most spacecraft structures, damage spacecraft components, and pose a potential threat to human occupants. A detection system has been developed involving optical fibers woven in an orthogonal grid in a fabric such as Kevlar. The optical fibers are interrogated by a light source that monitors the intensity of the light transmission. Changes in light transmission relate to HVI damage to the optical fibers such that a damage zone can be constructed based on these data. This “smart fabric” can be bonded to critical parts of the spacecraft susceptible to HVI damage or mounted inside the spacecraft structure such that the HVI particles are attenuated before they can damage interior components (and astronauts). Tests on a Kevlar smart fabric have been conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center using aluminum plate targets, and results are presented demonstrating the effectiveness of this technique.