Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
A 0.24-inch (6-millimeter) hole was found in the solar panel of NanoAvionics' MP42 satellite, which has been in orbit since April 2022. The discovery was made on October 24, 2024, using footage from the satellite's onboard camera.
Credit: NanoAvionics
NanoAvionics stated that the exact cause of the puncture is unknown. It could have been caused by either a tiny piece of space debris or a micrometeoroid, though the timing of the impact is uncertain, as the camera hadn't captured this part of the solar panel in 18 months.
Credit: NanoAvionics
Despite the damage, the company reports that the hole has not caused a measurable drop in the satellite's energy production. The satellite's solar panel is still functioning as expected.
Credit: NanoAvionics
The incident serves as a reminder of the growing problem of space debris. NanoAvionics pointed out that the collision illustrates the need for more responsible space operations and improved resilience of satellites to such impacts.
The MP42 is part of a small fleet of satellites, and NanoAvionics also noted that larger objects, such as the International Space Station, face a higher risk of collisions due to the presence of smaller debris. The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates that there are 130 million space debris objects between 1 and 10 millimetres orbiting Earth.
Space debris has caused damage in the past. For example, in 2016, a piece of debris caused a significant hole in the solar panel of ESA’s Sentinel 1A satellite. The power generation of the satellite was impacted but recovered after repairs.
NanoAvionics has conducted a few collision avoidance manoeuvres in its years of operation. The company recently completed a series of manoeuvres in early 2024, reducing the risk of collision with other objects by a significant margin.
Experts warn that the increasing amount of space debris poses a serious long-term challenge. Collisions between large defunct satellites could create thousands of fragments, making it more difficult for operational satellites to avoid damage. A 2009 collision between two satellites produced thousands of pieces of debris that remain in orbit today.