Actually, they use layered shielding called a whipple shield, if i remember correctly. The outer layer stops most small/slower debris. In the event that the outer layer is punctured, it is designed so that the impacting object is split apart and slowed by the collision. By the time it reaches the second layer, it will have lost too much of its penetrating ability to actually cause damage, and is stopped entirely by the second layer.
The idea is that these objects are capable of creating immense pressure because they are so small, but do not have a huge amount of kinetic energy due to their low mass. So, by breaking apart the object, its effective area is increased and it can no longer penetrate walls because the same small amount of energy is spread about a larger area, even if it still travels at high speeds.
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Actually, they use layered shielding called a whipple shield, if i remember correctly. The outer layer stops most small/slower debris. In the event that the outer layer is punctured, it is designed so that the impacting object is split apart and slowed by the collision. By the time it reaches the second layer, it will have lost too much of its penetrating ability to actually cause damage, and is stopped entirely by the second layer.
The idea is that these objects are capable of creating immense pressure because they are so small, but do not have a huge amount of kinetic energy due to their low mass. So, by breaking apart the object, its effective area is increased and it can no longer penetrate walls because the same small amount of energy is spread about a larger area, even if it still travels at high speeds.
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