Source | Atomic-6
On Oct. 21, Atomic-6’s (Marietta, Ga., U.S.) composite Space Armor technology was launched into orbit for the first time aboard Portal Space Systems’ (Bothell, Wash., U.S.) Starburst-1 spacecraft, carried by a SpaceX (Starbase, Texas, U.S.) Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Bandwagon-5 dedicated rideshare mission. The launch moves Space Armor tiles from ground-based hypervelocity testing to its first operational deployment in space.
The composite shielding technology will help protect critical spacecraft systems against potentially catastrophic impact from micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD), addressing concerns related to the “Kessler Syndrome,” a cascading effect of space debris collisions that could make parts of Earth’s orbit unusable for satellites or space missions. Built with a fiber-to-resin manufacturing method, Space Armor tiles also create the launch’s composite radome, a structural enclosure that protects communication equipment and offers communications transparency and impact resilience.
“We’ve proven Space Armor tiles can withstand debris traveling at extraordinary speeds without generating harmful secondary fragments,” says Trevor Smith CEO of Atomic-6. “Now, we’re putting that technology to work aboard Portal’s Starburst-1.”
Space Armor technology’s combination of impact resistance, reduced mass, and radio frequency permeability offers spacecraft manufacturers a new approach to protecting high-value orbital assets, including satellites, communications systems and future crewed platforms. Unlike traditional metallic Whipple shields, Space Armor tiles are lighter, thinner and engineered to resist fragmentation upon impact, reducing the risk of generating additional hazardous debris in orbit.
In ground-based hypervelocity testing (see video below), Space Armor composite tiles successfully stopped projectiles traveling faster than 7 kilometers per second, or approximately 16,000 miles per hour, while producing no harmful secondary debris. In comparative testing, conventional aluminum shielding generated a multitude of fragments, some larger than the original projectile.
VimeoAtomic-6 Space Armor Impact Video
Portal’s Starburst-1 installed Space Armor tiles on its first free-flying spacecraft mission carrying live payloads. Designed for rapid maneuvering within an orbital regime, Starburst-1 will demonstrate capabilities that support rendezvous and proximity operations, rapid retasking and significant orbital changes during its planned 1-year primary mission.
Portal and Atomic-6 will use experience from integrating Space Armor tiles onto Starburst-1 to validate installation procedures and develop best practices for incorporating the tiles into future spacecraft designs.