Orbital debris has become acknowledged as a major threat to present and future NASA missions, but little data has been publicly released about the history of space junk’s impact on previous missions.
Being hit by tiny chips of paint, aluminum, steel, and other types of space garbage is a regular part of Shuttle missions, according to data maintained by Johnson Space Center’s Hypervelocity Impact Technology Facility. In 54 missions from STS-50 through STS-114, space junk and meteoroids hit the Shuttle’s windows 1,634 times necessitating 92 window replacements. In addition, the Shuttle’s radiator was hit 317 times, actually causing holes in the radiator’s facesheet 53 times.
The database detailing 1,951 impacts has been publicly-available on a NASA server but is reported in the press for the first time here.
The full Shuttle Hypervelocity Impact Database with updates through April 2006 is available in Excel format. We’ve also uploaded the key datasheets to Google Documents, as part of our continuing effort to make government data available in formats that enable easy reuse.
Wired Science has contacted NASA to get data from STS 115 to STS 124 and will post it when we’re able to get a hold of it.
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Image: A scanning electron microscope image of a window impact from this STS 115 debris impact overview.
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