SwRI develops orbital debris detection system for spacecraft

SAN ANTONIO — August 18, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed and tested a micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) detection and characterization system designed for satellites and spacecraft to monitor impacts from space debris. The system provides critical post-impact data, ensuring awareness of an impact even when damage is not immediately apparent.

Space debris around Earth is a growing problem, a result of commercial satellites exploding, anti-satellite missile tests and accidents that contribute to a growing junk field. Depending on its location, debris can remain in orbit for years, posing a threat to operational spacecraft.

The MMOD system can be mounted onto a spacecraft or integrated into its design. It consists of a structural element embedded with sensors that collect data for software analysis to identify impact details. These data can provide insights into the size and volume of particles orbiting Earth, including many that are too small to be seen from the planet’s surface. It can also alert spacecraft or satellites when they’ve been hit.

“Most spacecraft survive minor impacts without systems breaking or operators on Earth knowing,” said SwRI Institute Scientist Dr. Sidney Chocron, who led development of the MMOD detection and characterization system. “Our device is designed to send data back to Earth with important insights before any damage is apparent, which can also influence future design decisions.”

SwRI used its light gas gun, which can replicate the vacuum of space and the impact conditions of space debris, to fire small projectiles at panels equipped with the MMOD detection and characterization device. The results are detailed in a recent study led by Chocron.

“While not every aspect of the space environment can be replicated, our tests create realistic particle impacts,” Chocron said. “This helps determine whether structures can withstand such collisions. It also allows us to evaluate the efficacy of the MMOD detection and characterization system, which can detect when and where impacts occur as well as the speed and composition of the debris involved.”

These data could also help NASA and the industry develop more resilient future spacecraft. While it doesn’t help existing spacecraft directly avoid collisions, it could play a role in early warning systems. If a satellite detects a debris strike, it could warn others in the same orbit to move out of the way, if possible.

Now that the system has been successfully tested at full scale, SwRI is working to secure funding for a flight-ready version.

“Ultimately, our primary goal is to map and characterize the MMOD debris field around the Earth to better protect future missions,” Chocron said. “Our MMOD detection and characterization system is a step toward better understanding and mitigating those risks.”

To read the Hypervelocity Impact Symposium paper “Tests and Simulations for an On-Orbit Micrometeoroid Detector,” visit: https://doi.org/10.1115/HVIS2024-011.

For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/defense-security/blast-impact/ballistics-explosives/computational-mechanics.