NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Image Credit: NASA

The objective of the MEO is to understand the flux and the associated risk of meteoroids impacting spacecraft traveling in and beyond Earth’s orbit. Meteoroids impacting spacecraft are a quantifiable risk as they can puncture pressurized volumes (i.e. space station modules, propellant tanks) or destroy components (i.e. engines, electronics). While meteoroids have never been definitively proven to have destroyed a spacecraft, there have been several in-flight anomalies attributed to meteoroid impacts including loss of the Olympus satellite to control system failure induced by a Perseid shower meteor impact. Understanding the meteoroid environment can help spacecraft designers to better protect critical components on spacecraft or avoid critical operations such as extravehicular activities during periods of higher flux such as meteor showers.

The primary functions of the MEO are as follows:

• Lead NASA technical work on the meteoroid environment; coordinate the existing meteoroid expertise at NASA centers.
• Provide design, operational determination, and review assistance for NASA Programs/projects with respect to risk mitigation.
• Develop, maintain, and distribute a new and more accurate sporadic meteoroid model.
• Provide meteor shower forecasts to NASA spacecraft operators.

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