Anne Bennett
University of Colorado, Boulder
This research effort studies the system effects of non-catastrophic debris strikes. The main focus of the research consists of two complementary efforts. The first effort uses a high-fidelity simulator for spacecraft attitude dynamics to determine subtle signatures in telemetry which indicate a minor debris strike. The second effort folds these results in with studies on other effects of non-catastrophic debris strikes, including solar array power degradation, radiator efficiency degradation, component malfunction, and subtle orbit changes due to momentum imparted by the strike. These combined efforts develop an innovative new technical capability by allowing any active satellite to be used as an in-situ debris sensor. This provides a means to measure the small, untrackable debris population and gives operators additional tools for diagnosing on-orbit anomalies.