[P-CG21] Future Missions and instrumentation for space and planetary science

[PCG21-P15] Development of micrometeoroid impact sensor within a multi-layered insulation (CLOTH) onboard 6U deep-space explorer EQUULEUS

*Takayuki Hirai¹, Hajime Yano², Ritsuko Jitsukawa³, Eigo Ishioka³, Haruki Nakano³, Kazuyoshi Arai³, Sunao Hasegawa² (1.Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, 2.Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3.Faculty of Science and Engineering, Hosei University)

Keywords:Piezoelectric film, PVDF, Thermal insulation, CubeSat, Micrometeoroid, Hypervelocity impact

In recent years, the use of CubeSat for deep-space exploration is remarkably expanding. Equilibrium Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft (EQUULEUS) project led by the University of Tokyo and JAXA is one of 13 sub payloads which will be launched by the NASA’s new rocket, Space Launch System (SLS) in 2019 or later. In addition to the engineering mission of orbital maneuvering, EQUULEUS will perform 3 scientific missions consisted of geo-corona, lunar impact flash, and micrometeoroid observations on the way to the Earth-Lunar libration point 2. Our Cis-Lunar Object detector within THermal Insulation (CLOTH) is a piezoelectric film sensor integrated with the EQUULEUS’s multi-layer insulation (MLI). CLOTH can detect micrometeoroid which impacts and penetrates the outermost layer of EQUULEUS's MLI. The space flight demonstration of CLOTH will expand the possibility of deep-space exploration by CubeSat. In this presentation, we introduce the concept of CLOTH, i.e. micrometeoroid detector integrated with a spacecraft bus component, and the detection performance estimated by hypervelocity microparticle impact test on the ground.