The Impact of Space Debris Hitting the Spacecraft

For common people, space debris is only the unidentified and identified objects that rotate in the elliptical orbits of certain planets. However, for scientists and astronomers, they are the objects that are generated from the space-travel and they can cause big impact to humanity. For example, one of the debris could produce impact as the same size of meteor.

The Earth is surrounded by space debris

Debris are produced from the space travel during the launching of satellite which uses the rocket booster or launcher. After reaching the Earth’s orbits, the rocket will be unattached from the command controls or the pilot or automatically be released by the system. Unfortunately, during the un-attachment, big-sized-equipment could have been influenced by the gravity so it could fall on the atmosphere of Earth. But, for small-size equipment, they will stay rotating in the orbit which can cause many issues.

In fact, the small size of equipment has been hitting the satellites. It has been reported from European Space Agency (ESA) that the Copernicus Sentinel-1A was hit by millimetre-size particle in the late August 2016. Even though there was no major effect, this is the evidence that the satellite is in alert situation (Agency 2016).

The effect of space debris

The simulation model about space debris -- image is credite by the ESA

Based on NASA’s calculation, it is estimated that more than 500,000 pieces of space debris are flying around the orbits and their velocity are super (Garcia 2013). As physics have thought us about the momentum and objects that approach speed of light could produce high impact, hyper momentum could be produced with enormous energy. The relatively small size of objects is crucial because when they move, the speed could approach the speed of light nearly 28000 kilometers per hour. Currently, if we could imagine what is happening in the orbits, our earth is rained by lots of space debris.

To understand the impact, the European Space Agency set up an experiment using alumunium material. They used a sphere and rectangular object. The sphere was applied as a bullet which had speed approximately to 6.8 km/second. Then the simulation process is designed to make the sphere hit the rectangular object with 18 cm thick.

The results of experiment indicated danger situation. With only 1.2 cm of diameter, the sphere produced impact crater and depth for 9.0 and 5.3 cm respectively. This became big issue since the experiments limited the real condition such as pressure and temperature, the aerodynamic aspect of the debris, the amount and materials of the space debris.

What we could do for the space debris

Many suggestions have been reported from scientists around the world. From installing the laser protector either in the atmosphere or surface of the earth, to the spacecraft which is supported with weapons. However, one of the promising solutions which have been proposed are the laser protector installed in the atmosphere because of certain reasons. For example, constructing protecting station in the atmosphere could prevent the laser from reducing energy. it also reduces the disturbance created by the natural magnetic field which is generated from the earth’s core.

On the other hand, the location which is in the atmosphere could increase the accuracy of striking so it can effectively remove the debris. This also helps us to avoid uncertainties and distance since if we instal the laser stations in the surface of the Earth.