Meteoroid Impacts
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Astronaut John Glenn aboard STS-95
 
Meteoroids are small pieces of interplanetary debris remaining from the birth of the solar system. Larger meteoroids are called asteroids. Meteoroids and micrometeoroids are found throughout our solar system. These objects are in orbit around our Sun and can pose a hazard to spacecraft en route to Mars. The danger of meteoroid damage to a traveling spaceship cannot be underestimated even if the odds are not large. Even a small particle of debris can significantly damage a spaceship if it is traveling on a collision course with that debris. 
 

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Micrometeorite damage

 Currently, spacecraft do not have advanced radar tracking systems to ensure that objects smaller than a baseball can be spotted in advance. The Space Shuttle relies on ground tracking of objects larger than a baseball to maneuver out of the way of approaching objects. 

Tiny objects in Earth orbit have significantly damaged spacecraft windows in both the Shuttle and on Mir. The inclusion of windows is a significant design concern to engineers because of their fragility. The loss of pressurization in one of the Mir modules has shown us how quickly crews must work together to ensure the safety of the rest of the vehicle. Either significantly improved radar-tracking systems must be developed for Mars missions, or emergency plans must be trained and available. Click here to read more about spacecraft and orbital debris. The International Space Station is designed with a thick aluminum sandwich type hull to help protect against impact damage. For more information on how impacts can affect spacecraft click here. 
 
The TransHab is an inflatable habitat designed for possible use on the International Space Station. The TransHab uses a newly designed material that is stronger than metal for protection against impacts. For more information on the space station shell click here. transhab

TransHab’s 1-foot-thick inflatable shell is made up of two dozen layers. These layers are fashioned to break up particles of space debris and tiny meteorites that may hit the shell with a speed seven times as fast as a bullet. Successive layers of Nextel (a material commonly used as insulation under the hoods of many cars) are spaced between several-inches-thick layers of open cell foam (similar to foam used for chair cushions on Earth). The layers cause a particle to shatter as it hits and to lose more and more of its energy as it penetrates deeper. The Transhab is a possible module for a mission to Mars. To read the article "The Dangers of Orbital Debris", click here.

Questions to think about:

     
  • How would you design a tracking system for interplanetary debris for a Mars spacecraft?
  • What types of spacecraft protection would you design for a Mars ship?

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