Oxford Instruments’ DEBIE sensor on board the International Space Station

Oxford Instruments is proud to announce that its DEBIE (Debris In-orbit Evaluator) sensor to monitor sub-millimeter size particle distribution has been installed in the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF). EuTEF has been mounted outside the Columbus module of the International Space Station. It carries experiments requiring exposure to the extreme space environment.

DEBIE sensor units are designed to measure the mass and impact speed of high velocity sub-millimeter particles. These particles may be of natural origin, such as remnants of comets, asteroids and meteoroids, or they can be man-made debris from spacecrafts. It is important to gather information of their mass and velocity distribution as well as their typical trajectories, because the tiny particles present a potential hazard for spacecraft. Despite the insignificant mass of these dust grains, their high velocity is such that the impact energy is capable of damaging or destroying parts of a spacecraft. The first DEBIE instrument was launched in PROBA-1 satellite in October 2001.

The challenge has been to design a light weight standard instrument with low energy consumption, which can be easily installed into different satellites. The complete instrument consists of a maximum of four sensors and a central unit. Sensors can be placed on different sides of the satellite to enable the measurement of particles approaching simultaneously from different directions. Success has been achieved through a strong Finnish consortium. Oxford Instruments Analytical Oy manufactures the mechanics; Patria Oyj the electronics and the central unit; and Space Systems Finland Oy has developed the software.