Sub-cm space debris in LEO: A comparison between the ESA MASTER model and ADLER in-situ data

Modeling the Space debris and Meteoroid (SD/M) environment in Low Earth orbit is particularly challenging when it comes to sub-cm sized particles that are below the detection thresholds of ground based observations. The MASTER model of ESA is used to establish a reference for risk assessments and mission planning. However, given the significant increase in satellite operations in the last decade, the lack of recent in-situ data for calibrating the models is evident. The ADLER-1 mission, operating for 512 days at an altitude of 480 km, was an in-orbit demonstrator for deploying a piezoelectric sensor array as well as a continuous wave miniature radar to obtain pilot data. The APID-1 instrument onboard ADLER-1 yielded 117 impact events for a period of ca 400 days, which were compared to the MASTER simulations. There is evidence for detecting debris from a rocket motor firing of an ISS supply flight.