METEOROID AND ORBITAL DEBRIS

Micro-Particle Impact Detector Experiment On MightySat I
Contact: Bill Kinard
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Phone: 804-864-3796
E-Mail: William.H.Kinard@nasa.gov

SUNSAT:   Meteoroid Impact Sensor
Principal Investigator: Bill Kinard
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Phone: 804-864-3796
E-Mail: William.H.Kinard@nasa.gov

Evaluation of Space Environment and Effects on Materials (ESEM)
Principal Investigator: Bill Kinard
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Phone: 804-864-3796
E-Mail: William.H.Kinard@nasa.gov

The Meteoroid and Debris Impact Monitor on STRV-2
Principal Investigator: Bill Kinard
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Phone: 804-864-3796
E-Mail: William.H.Kinard@nasa.gov

Goal: To establish the 1997-1998 small mass man-made debris population in low earth orbit and establish the variation of this population with altitude (400-1800 km altitude range, 90 deg inclination).

Mir Photo Survey
Principal Scientist: Mike Gaunce
NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, TX 77058
Phone: 713 483-5153

Goal: To use still photos and video taken during rendevous, docked operations, and departure/fly-around to survey the exterior of the Mir for damage due to meteoroid/debris impacts, external contamination effects, and exposed material degradation.

Mir Environmental Effects Payloads (MEEP):
Project Manager: Greg Stover
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Phone: 804-864-7097 Fax: 804-864-7890
E-Mail: Gregory.Stover-1@nasa.gov

MEEP is a common interface to shuttle and Mir (a passive experiment carrier). MEEP consists of the following four international Space Station (ISS) phase 1 risk mitigation experiments:

• Orbital Debris Collector (ODC):
  Principal Scientist: Dr. Friedrich Hörz
  NASA Johnson Space Center
  Houston, TX 77058
  Phone: 713 483-5042 Fax: 713 483-5347

Goal: Capture hypervelocity particles in the Mir Environment using low density, highly porous SiO2 aerogel and return them to Earth for detailed mineralogical and compositional analysis. Of particular interest is the relative abundance of metallic versus oxidized aluminum, and how this ratio changes with absolute particle size.

• Polished Plate Micrometeroids & Debris Experiment:
  Principal Investigator: Bill Kinard
  NASA Langley Research Center
  Hampton, VA 23681-0001
  Phone: 804-864-3796
  E-Mail: William.H.Kinard@nasa.gov

Goal: Assess and characterize the natural micrometeoroid and the man-made debris environments in the Mir high inclination orbit.

Schedule launch is March of 1996 on STS-76. The MEEP will be deployed on the Mir/Shuttle Docking Module and will be retrieved after approximately 1 year.
 

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