The near-earth space environment - where most satellites, the Shuttle and the International Space Station orbit the earth - is cluttered with man-made debris and naturally occurring meteoroids. Hypervelocity impacts between any spacecraft and this particulate environment can lead to catastrophic failure. For this reason, there is an entire science devoted to investigating and assessing this threat, as well as protecting spacecraft though passive shielding techniques.
		To design effective shielding for spacecraft and to evaluate the risk posed by debris and meteoroids, we must be able to perform hypervelocity impact tests in a controlled laboratory environment. This section describes how we achieve hypervelocity impact conditions in the lab.
		One of the main functions of the Hypervelocity Impact Technology Facility is the development of advanced shielding concepts to protect spacecraft on orbit. This section describes the basic concepts and materials used in spacecraft shield design. Some fundamental shield configurations are presented and explained.
		At the HITF, shield testing, analysis, design, and other services have supported a variety of manned and unmanned spacecraft. The discussion and case studies provide some insight into the capabilities of the HITF.
		Hydrocodes are sophisticated computer programs which simulate hypervelocity impact events. Extensive physical based codes have been developed which are run on high end supercomputers. The solutions permit a unique insight into hypervelocity impact phenomena, extending the experimental testing capability to conditions not attainable in a laboratory. This approach to developing spacecraft shield solutions is becoming more and more prevalent.
		At the HITF, meteoroid and debris threat assessments have been performed on a variety of manned and unmanned spacecraft. The threat assessment is the final step towards the solution, culminating from the hard work performed in the shield development, testing, and analysis stages. It yields probability statistics which relate the risk that the meteoroid and orbital debris environment pose to a particular spacecraft, over the course of its mission.
		The Hypervelocity Impact Symposium (HVIS) is dedicated to enabling and promoting an understanding of the basic physics of high velocity impact and related technical areas. This international event provides a forum for researchers to share and exchange a wealth of knowledge through oral and poster presentations, and commercial exhibits. Click here for more information on HVIS conference series.
		NASA/JSC HITF Document Archive (restricted to "jsc.nasa.gov" domain)
		The HVI facility at NASA/JSC White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is teamed with the HITF to perform hypervelocity impact testing. Click on logo to visit the WSTF HVI website.
		Learn more about the HITF and its history, personnel, and capabilities.

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