January 1 , 1963 : This is what happens when a man of blank junk hit a spacecraft in field . While gorgeous , the muscularity heartbeat of a hypervelocity impact pile a serious punch .
A projectile launched at 7,600 meters per second ( 17,000 miles per hour ) at a solid surface produce this beautiful starburst energy flash in an effort to copy collision between ballistic capsule and orbital debris . The potential for these hypervelocity collisions make even lilliputian grains a major hazard for spacecraft .
The examination was behave at the Hypervelocity Ballistic Range at NASA ’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View , California .
meet the author at[email protected]or follow her at@MikaMcKinnon .
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