DEDRA Space Debris Detector
The DEDRA (Debris Density Retreival and Analysis) is a satellite-based sensor for in-situ detection of sub-millimetric debris and meteoroid particles. The sensor is based on the Munich Dust Counter, which was developed by the Technical University of Munich in the early 90s. It is designed to quantify the mass and speed of incoming particles, utilising the principle of impact ionization.
The project is a part of the student team MOVE (Munich Orbital Verification Experiment) of the WARR (Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight) e.V. and supervised by our professorship. A technology demonstration mission of the sensor is planned as a part of the MOVE-III mission. The mission aims at acquiring in-situ observations of sub-millimetre space debris and meteoroids in Low Earth Orbit, with the objective of compiling a dataset of flux, as well as object mass and velocity measurements that can be used for the validation of the small object estimates of space debris models and support further studies related to the characterisation of the space environment.
Publications
Schweinfurth, A. G., Pucknus, P.,Firmbach, F.S., Zorbach N. (2023), MOVE-III and DEDRA: In-Situ Sub Millimetric Space Debris and Micrometeoroid Detection and Characterisation, Proc. 2nd NEO and Debris Detection Conference, Darmstadt, Germany, 24-26 January 2023, conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/proceedings/neosst2/paper/97
Oikonomidou, X., Karagiannis, E., Still D., Strasser F., Firmbach, F. S., Hettwer J., Schweinfurth, A. G., Pucknus P., Menekay D., You T., Vovk M., Weber S., Zhu Z. (2022), MOVE-III: A Cubesat For The Detection Of Sub-Millimetre Space Debris And Meteoroids In Low Earth Orbit, Front. Space Technol., Sec. Space Debris, Volume 3, doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.933988