SMARTSHIELD
Development of a smart composite satellite shield with integrated space debris sensor
THE PROJECT
Duration: 2023 - 2025
Funding scheme: MCST Space Upstream Programme
Overall budget: EUR 125,000
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The increasing amount of space debris in Earth's orbit presents a growing hazard to operational satellites. While existing satellite shields effectively protect against sub-millimeter debris, and larger objects (above 50 mm) are tracked from the ground, debris in the 1-10 mm range remains a critical concern. Traveling at high velocities (over 5 km/s in low Earth orbit), this debris possesses sufficient kinetic energy to inflict damage, yet is too small for in-situ detection. To address this challenge, this project pioneers the development of a smart sensor system embedded within the satellite shield. This advanced sensor will not only detect impact events but also precisely locate the damage, detect the damaged area, and detect the speed of the impacting debris, providing critical data for informed decisions on satellite maintenance or replacement.
THE RESULTS
The PCB for detecting the size and shape of the damaged region
The PCB for estimating the speed of the space debris that caused the damage