APPENDIX A
Statement of Task
Drawing upon available data and analyses, including information presented by NASA and other space agencies, the committee will:
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Assess the International Space Station strategy for reducing the probability that the space station or its crew will be damaged or lost as a result of meteoroid or orbital debris impact and recommend alternate strategies where appropriate.
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Review the meteoroid/debris environment model used for space station design and assess its validity.
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Review the current approach to space station shielding and assess the ability of this approach to protect the space station.
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Assess current plans to minimize the hazard to the space station and crew in the case of damaging meteoroid or debris impacts.
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Assess the potential benefits and costs of schemes to reduce the hazard to the space station from meteoroids and debris through the use of improved radar tracking and onboard debris collision sensors.
The committee will conduct approximately four meetings. The committee ’s findings and recommendations will be presented in a report for the NASA Administrator, Congress, the White House, and other interested parties. The report will be subject to National Research Council report review procedures prior to release.
