Why meteoroid doesn't hit space shuttle, satellites or space station?

Answer 1

Radar.

Large objects can be detected from the ground or from the space station, and the station is moved out of the way.

The space station and the shuttle are designed to take hits from objects too small to detect from radar and still survive.

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...Larger particles (objects greater than 10-cm in diameter) are being tracked and catalogued by USSPACECOM radar. Spacecraft and satellites can avoid collisions by maneuvering around the larger debris. For example, when a space shuttle is in orbit, the USSPACECOM regularly examines the trajectories of orbital debris to identify possible close encounters. If a catalogued object is projected to come within a few kilometers of the space shuttle, it will normally maneuver away from the object.

Particles less than 1 mm in diameter are not tracked by radar. Fortunately, small particles pose less of a catastrophic threat but they do cause surface abrasions and microscopic holes to spacecraft and satellites.

The greatest challenge is medium size particles (objects with a diameter between 1 mm to 10 cm) because they are not easily tracked and are large enough to cause catastrophic damage to spacecraft and satellites.

Why simulate particle impacts on spacecraft?
Spacecraft must be designed to withstand hypervelocity impacts by untrackable particles. Conducting hypervelocity impacts on spacecraft and satellite components assesses the risk of orbital debris impacting operating spacecraft and satellites. Developing new materials and designs from HVI impact data provides a better understanding to protect spacecraft and satellites from the debris in the space environment.

One concept of spacecraft shielding recently developed, termed multishock, uses several layers of lightweight ceramic fabric to act as "bumpers," which repeatedly shock a projectile to such high energy levels that it melts or vaporizes before it can penetrate a spacecraft's walls. Lightweight shields based on this concept are used on the International Space Station (ISS)....

Answer 2

They DO, from time to time. Just that they're usually really small dust particles.
Remember that space is not full of "meteoroids" - they're very rare and spread out in the vastness of the universe.
Also, the satellites are small targets - getting the two together is a rare event.

Answer 3

I don't think people understand how much space there is, in space. There are things flying around out there all the time, but, actual meteroids? Not likely. All those items in space are in orbit with the sattelites, space station, etc, so they are travelling at the same speed, on the same "band". Imagine a fast moving stream, with little twigs. The twigs might bump into each other, but, they are going in the same direction, at the same speed. No real dangerous collisions happening. There aren't any meteroids headed into the earth anytime soon to actually collide with orbiting objects.

Answer 4

they do constantly, but the shuttle/station are made of durable enough materials to withstand the abuse

i think atleast a 1/4 inch of aluminum on the 'space' side

but generally the area is so big (in orbit) that it doesnt happen often enough for it to be a problem

typically orbitting satellites and other orbiting bodies are positioned and aligned in a way that minimizes their cross section to likely aveneus of space rocks

Answer 5

The chance of any particular object hitting another in space are nearly zero. Space is a large place. If a meteor did hit the space shuttle or ISS, you can bet it would be disastrous -

Time to invent shields - Scotty!

Answer 6

The shuttle runs into crap all the time. After every single mission they replace the windshield and the tiles. Even a spec of dust, when moving at 30k mph runs into a shuttle moving at 30k mph, can create some damage.

Answer 7

Yes but most of them are very small but there are other things out there to consider. Most of the meteorite are traveling in the 50,000 mph. The other thing is pieces of comets there pieces can be traveling in the 150,000 to 200,000 mph. The energy that a particle has is the velocity Squared times the mass.

Answer 8

There is trash in space that is mapped and tracked because it does hit things.

Answer 9

They actually do it's just that they are so small that they cause no damage because they are only about the size of dust or sand

Answer 10

What does it matter. The only one still up is the Hubble and they got it working again.