Millions of man-made debris and naturally occurring micrometeoroids orbit in and around Earth's space environment at hypervelocity averaging 10 km/s (22,000 mi/h).

This space junk collides with spacecraft and satellites. Collision with these particles could cause serious damage or catastrophic failure to spacecraft or satellites and is a life threatening risk to astronauts conducting extra-vehicular activities in space.

The White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) Hypervelocity Impact (HVI) Test Facility simulates these debris impacts on shields, spacecraft and satellite materials or components, and spacesuit assemblies using two-stage light gas gun launchers.

The WSTF HVI facility is a remote, access-controlled hazardous test area and is designed to safely handle and test hazardous targets, making it a unique NASA facility.

For additional information contact Jon Haas, (505) 524-5341.

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