On February 28, 1998, comet Tempel-Tuttle was at its closest point to the Sun, which boiled off bits of dust and sand from the comet, leaving a cloud of cometary debris from this and previous passages.
In May of 1998, Dr. William Ailor, Director of The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies, testified with colleagues before the U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Science's
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics about the dangers and risks of the Leonids on spacecraft. Read their report, “Asteroids: Perils and Opportunities.”
Learning from the Leonids
In the modern space era, our growing awareness about how to protect our important satellites from natural occurrences in the space environment is vital. It also applies to other threats from the space environment such as those associated with solar activities.
This new awareness is important because our satellites, totaling more than 650 on orbit, form a vital infrastructure for communications, weather and climate monitoring, navigation, national defense, and astronomical research.
The 1998 Leonids meteor shower helped satellite operators prepare for the 1999 event that had the potential to adversely impact our space assets. The preparations included convening at The Leonid Meteoroid Storm and Satellite Threat Conference sponsored by The Aerospace Corporation and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, sharing information and making plans well in advance of the event.
Sharing Information Is Important
The Aerospace Corporation has found that most satellite operators believe it is in their interest to gather and share information on the nature of environmental threats and learn how to prepare for them. What was learned in 1998 was shared and discussed at a second conference held in May 1999.
The fact that no satellites were reported damaged during the 1998-2002 Leonids showers could indicate that precautions paid off. These included having "A teams" of controllers on duty, powering down selected satellites and components, adjusting solar panels to minimize exposure to the storm, orienting satellites and other space assets such as the Hubble telescope to make sensitive parts less vulnerable, and taking other precautions.
"We always knew that the probability of anything happening was pretty low," said Dr. Bill Ailor, director of The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies. "The idea was to make sure people were prepared and we believe they were. Certainly the precautions were prudent."
Prudence a Good Policy
Prudence when dealing with space assets worth millions and billions is a good policy. This policy is more important now than ever, and will grow increasingly important in the future as many more satellites are launched.
