Space Debris—A Design Consideration

With the increased use of space by manned or unmanned missions, it has become necessary to include yet another parameter in the design of spacecraft, namely, the effect of a probable impact by the manmade space debris. Information about the number and size of small debris at the space station altitude is extremely limited and is mostly predicted by models. Protection of the space station against space debris is vital for its safe operation. The paper presents a review and discussion of the current space debris environment at the space station altitude, space station protection design analysis methods, and hypervelocity impact testing and analysis approaches.