Protect the sitting ducks of space, the hundreds of Earth-orbiting satellites that are headed straight, naked and unawares into what some experts say could be the grandest meteor storm in decades. And while no one expects catastrophe, a nervous cadre of satellite operators and engineers, from government to industry, is nonetheless preparing for the worst. Researchers say a tiny meteor could poke holes in solar panels, pit camera lenses, blast reflective coating off mirrors, or damage computers. The last time Earth experienced a major meteor shower, in 1966, there were but a handful of satellites. Now there are nearly 600, doing everything from relaying phone calls to providing critical information for weather forecasters and the military.
More satellites mean higher odds of an impact.
The Leonids are caused by dust and debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which passes through the inner solar system every 33 years. The debris, burned off the comet by the solar wind, travels around the sun, too. The grains of dust that make up the Leonids are zipping along at 72 kilometers per second, or 260 times the speed of sound, relative to Earth and its satellites. Cooke says this is about four times faster than most meteoroids we might encounter. Greater danger Impacts and the resulting pits and divots they would create can easily damage fragile satellites.