Earth’s orbit is becoming very crowded as new satellites are launched into space and the remains of defunct ones float around. A recent selfie of a satellite revealed unexpected damage to its solar panel, which was likely caused by an unidentified impact that occurred last year.
This week, the satellite company NanoAvionics reported that its MP42 microsatellite bus survived a low Earth orbit impact that left a 0.2-inch (6 millimeter) hole in one of its solar panels. The company detected the impact thanks to the satellite’s selfie-taking skills: a pea-sized crater appeared in an image taken by the satellite’s onboard camera this month. However, NanoAvionics is not entirely sure what exactly could have affected their satellite. “Obviously, we cannot rule out the possibility of an alien beak satellite, but we are betting on a piece of space debris or a micrometeoroid,” the company wrote on X.
It is also difficult to determine exactly when the collision occurred. The last time MP42 took a selfie was in April 2023, so the orbit collision could have occurred at any time during the last year and a half.
Despite the damage to the solar panel, the satellite continues to function normally. According to telemetry data, the impact did not affect the satellite’s ability to generate power. However, this also makes it difficult to determine when the satellite was struck.
“Regardless of whether it was a micrometeoroid or a piece of space debris, the collision underscores the need for responsible space operations in orbit and makes us think about the resilience of satellites to such events,” NanoAvionics said in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Global Space Surveillance Network tracks more than 27,000 pieces of orbital debris, with many smaller pieces also flying around without being detected. Flying space debris threatens to collide with other satellites in orbit, and the situation is only getting worse as space becomes more accessible.
Earlier this month, a communications satellite disintegrated in space, creating a cloud of debris that grew to include nearly 500 pieces of spacecraft equipment flying uncontrollably in orbit. The International Space Station had to perform 32 maneuvers to avoid collision with the space debris between 1999 and 2022.
MP42 was launched in April 2022 by SpaceX ‘s Transporter-4 mission, which is a pioneer for NanoAvionics’ M6P platform designed for various space applications. The company’s satellites are equipped with propulsion systems for controlled de-orbit, which reduces long-term debris in space, according to NanoAvionics. Other companies should follow suit to create a cleaner orbit with less chance of collisions.
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