ISO 14200:2021

Space environment (natural and artificial) - Process-based implementation of meteoroid and debris environment models (orbital altitudes below GEO + 2 000 km)

This document specifies a common process for selecting and implementing meteoroid and space debris environment models used in the impact flux assessment for design and operation of spacecraft and other purposes. This document provides guidelines and requirements for the process.

Environnement spatial (naturel et artificiel) — Lignes directrices pour une mise en œuvre fondée sur les processus des modèles environnementaux des météoroïdes et des débris (altitudes d'orbite inférieures à GEO + 2 000 km)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-May-2021
• ICS: 49.140 - Space systems and operations
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 20/SC 14 - Space systems and operations
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 20/SC 14/WG 4 - Space environment (natural and artificial)
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 01-Jun-2021
• Due Date: 05-Nov-2021
• Completion Date: 01-Jun-2021

Relations

• Revises: ISO 14200:2012 - Space environment (natural and artificial) - Guide to process-based implementation of meteoroid and debris environmental models (orbital altitudes below GEO + 2 000 km)
• Effective Date: 23-Apr-2020

Overview

ISO 14200:2021 - "Space environment (natural and artificial) - Process‑based implementation of meteoroid and debris environment models (orbital altitudes below GEO + 2 000 km)" defines a common, process‑based approach for selecting and implementing meteoroid and space debris environment models used in impact flux assessment. The standard applies to model use for spacecraft design, mission analysis, operations and other purposes for orbital altitudes below GEO + 2 000 km. It replaces the 2012 edition and focuses on model selection and implementation (impact risk assessment requirements were removed and are covered elsewhere).

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and definitions: Clear definitions for terms such as impact flux, meteoroid, space debris and environment model to standardize terminology.
• Model selection procedure: Customers and suppliers must coordinate and agree on model choice. Selection should consider:
  • Transparency of model characteristics
  • Whether the model is used by a national space agency
  • Regular maintenance and updates
  • Output data format and interoperability with impact analysis tools
  • Ease of use
  • Comparison of flux outputs across candidate models (significant differences can exist)
• Implementation and traceability: Mandatory recordkeeping to ensure traceability throughout design and operations. Required records include:
  • Justification for the selected model
  • All input/output parameters and their values for each analysis case
  • Assumptions and technical justifications
  • Any corrections, safety factors or post‑processing applied to outputs or populations
  • Final impact flux results and methodologies used
• Review and verification: Records must be evaluated and confirmed by reviewers at appropriate project stages.
• International projects: Agreement among member bodies on applicable models and model maintenance for multinational efforts.
• Informative annexes: Annex A and B describe capabilities of selected meteoroid and debris models (e.g., Gruen, Divine, IMEM, MEM, SDEEM variants) to aid selection.

Applications

ISO 14200:2021 is intended for:

• Spacecraft designers assessing impact flux for shielding and subsystem protection
• Mission analysts comparing candidate orbits (LEO, GEO vicinity) by relative fluxes
• Operations teams predicting collision-avoidance frequency
• Sensor developers designing in‑situ debris detectors (selecting models that represent detection opportunities) The standard supports consistent, auditable model usage and helps establish worst‑case or mission‑specific modelling choices.

Related standards

• ISO 16126 - impact risk assessment (complements model implementation)
• ISO 24113 - space debris mitigation terminology and principles
• ISO 9000 - traceability concepts referenced in definitions

Keywords: ISO 14200:2021, meteoroid and debris environment models, impact flux assessment, space debris, spacecraft design, LEO, GEO+2000 km.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 14200
Second edition
2021-06
Space environment (natural
and artificial) — Process-based
implementation of meteoroid and
debris environment models (orbital
altitudes below GEO + 2 000 km)
Environnement spatial (naturel et artificiel) — Lignes directrices
pour une mise en œuvre fondée sur les processus des modèles
environnementaux des météoroïdes et des débris (altitudes d'orbite
inférieures à GEO + 2 000 km)
Reference number
©
ISO 2021
© ISO 2021
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative reference . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 2
5 Procedures for the selection and implementation of meteoroid and space debris
environment models . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Selection procedure . 3
5.3 Implementation procedure . 4
6 International project . 4
Annex A (informative) Capability of some meteoroid environment models .5
Annex B (informative) Capability of some space debris environment models .8
Bibliography .13
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 20, Aircraft and space vehicles,
Subcommittee SC 14, Space systems and operations.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 14200:2012), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— removal of impact risk assessment requirements;
— in Annexes A and B, information on space debris environment models has been updated (SDEEM 2015
and SDEEM 2019);
— debris flux models: The latest version of each model is briefly described. Descriptions of historical
models have been moved to NOTEs or deleted;
— since this document now focuses on models that have been developed primarily for impact flux
assessment, those models whose main purpose is to study the long-term evolution of the space
debris environment have been deleted.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Every spacecraft in an Earth orbit is exposed to a certain flux of micrometeoroids and man-made space
debris. Collisions with these particles take place with hypervelocity. Many meteoroid and space debris
environment models have been studied and developed which describe populations of meteoroids and/
or space debris. Those models can be used for estimation the impact flux required when selecting the
spacecraft operation orbit, evaluation the impact flux in a specific orbit, prediction of the frequency of
collision avoidance operations, and estimate of the impact flux required for protection design. However,
there are different methods in existence for reproducing the observed environment by means of
mathematical and physical models of release processes, for propagating orbits of release products, and
for mapping onto spatial and temporal distributions of objects densities, transient velocities, and impact
fluxes. Until a specific standard for the space debris environment is defined, a common implementation
process of models should be indicated.
This document specifies a common implementation process for meteoroid and space debris
environment models. In the first edition, requirements were also included relating to impact risk
assessment. However, with the publication of ISO 16126 in 2014, such requirements were no longer
necessary in this document, and so they have been removed. The second edition now focuses on models
used for estimating the impact flux.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 14200:2021(E)
Space environment (natural and artificial) — Process-
based implementation of meteoroid and debris
environment models (orbital altitudes below GEO + 2 000
km)
1 Scope
This document specifies a common process for selecting and implementing meteoroid and space debris
environment models used in the impact flux assessment for design and operation of spacecraft and
other purposes. This document provides guidelines and requirements for the process.
2 Normative reference
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
impact flux
number of impacts per unit area per unit time
3.2
mass density
mass per unit volume
3.3
meteoroid
small celestial body of natural origin
Note 1 to entry: Generally, a meteoroid is a solid, rocky object of a size considerably smaller than an asteroid and
considerably larger than an atom.
Note 2 to entry: It is thought that most meteoroids result from the disintegration and fragmentation of comets
and asteroids orbiting the sun, whereas others are collision impact debris ejected from bodies such as the Moon
or Mars.
3.4
meteoroid environment model
type of analysis model that computationally simulates the meteoroid (3.3) population orbiting the sun
Note 1 to entry: Typically, this type of model is used to predict the flux of meteoroids on a target object in space,
such as a spacecraft.
3.5
space debris
DEPRECATED: orbital debris
objects of human origin in Earth orbit or re-entering the atmosphere, including fragments and elements
thereof, that no longer serve a useful purpose
Note 1 to entry: Spacecraft in reserve or standby modes awaiting possible reactivation are considered to serve a
useful purpose.
[1]
[SOURCE: ISO 24113:2019, 3.23]
3.6
space debris environment model
type of analysis model that computationally simulates the space debris (3.5) population
Note 1 to entry: Typically, this type of model is used to predict the flux of space debris on a target object in space,
such as a spacecraft.
3.7
spacecraft
system designed to perform a set of tasks or functions in outer space, excluding launch vehicle
[SOURCE: ISO 24113:2019 3.25]
3.8
traceability
ability to trace the history, application or location of an object
[2]
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015 ,3.6.13, modified — Notes 1 and 2 to entry have been removed.]
4 Abbreviated terms
AU astronomical units
CME chemistry of meteoroid experiment
ESA European Space Agency
EuReCa European retrievable carrier
GEO geostationary earth orbit
GUI graphical user interface
HAX haystack auxiliary radar
HST-SA Hubble space telescope solar array
HST (SM1) Hubble space telescope (service mission 1)
HST (SM3B) Hubble space telescope (service mission 3B)
IMEM interplanetary meteoroid engineering model
ISS international space station
LDEF long duration exposure facility
LEO low earth orbit
MASTER meteoroid and space debris terrestrial environment reference
2 © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

MEM meteoroid engineering model
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
ORDEM orbital debris engineering model
PROOF program for radar and observation forecasting
SDEEM space debris environment engineering model
SSN space surveillance network
SSP space station program
STS space transportation system
5 Procedures for the selection and implementation of meteoroid and space
debris environment models
5.1 General
Meteoroid and space debris environment models can be used to estimate the impact fluxes of
meteoroids and space debris on a spacecraft. This flux information can be used in
a) the selection of the spacecraft operation orbit in mission analysis,
b) the evaluation of the safety of specific orbit(s),
c) the prediction of the frequency of collision avoidance operations, and
d) the design of suitable impact protection, especially for critical components.
There is a variety of environment models available, each with its own set of characteristics and
capabilities. 5.2 and 5.3 specify procedures that are available to guide a user in the selection and
implementation of a suitable model.
5.2 Selection procedure
5.2.1 The customer and the supplier of the spacecraft shall coordinate in selecting the meteoroid and
space debris environment models that are applied to their project and agree to the conclusion.
5.2.2 To select a suitable environment model, the capabilities of available candidate models should be
considered.
NOTE Annex A describes the capabilities of some meteoroid environment models and Annex B describes the
capabilities of some space debris environment models.
5.2.3 Models other than those listed in Annexes A and B may be used.
5.2.4 When selecting an environment model, the following should be considered:
a) transparency of the characteristics of the model;
b) whether the model is used by a national space agency;
c) whether the model is maintained on a regular and frequent basis;
d) the format of the output flux data, including its suitability for transfer to another model, such as an
impact risk analysis code;
e) the ease of use of the model.
5.2.5 When selecting an environment model, consideration should be given to the fact that there can
be significant differences in the calculated fluxes among the available candidate models. The customer
and/or the supplier should compare the fluxes of several models. See A.3 and B.3.
NOTE The choice of model to be applied depends on the mission objectives and requirements of the customer
(and the supplier, if necessary). For example, to achieve adequate safety margin in the design of a spacecraft or
its subsystems, it is reasonable to select the model with the highest flux values when analysing the risk caused by
space debris and meteoroid impacts. This ensures that the worst-case scenario is evaluated. On the other hand,
in the case of in situ debris sensor design, the worst-case scenario is achieved by using the model that generates
the lowest impact flux values, since it results in the smallest observation opportunity. Finally, when selecting the
operational orbit of a spacecraft by comparing the impact flux for each candidate orbit, the model can be chosen
according to criteria other than the magnitude of its flux values. This is because the analysis involves relative
fluxes.
5.3 Implementation procedure
5.3.1 Traceability of the implementation of the meteoroid and space debris environment models shall
be assured, including during all design and operation phases, if applied to a spacecraft.
5.3.2 When applying a model to calculate meteoroid or space debris impact fluxes, a record of the
following shall be kept:
a) the justification of the selected model;
b) all input and output parameters and their values for each analysis case;
c) any assumptions made regarding the input parameters and the technical justification for the
assumptions;
d) any corrections and/or additional assumptions made to output parameters, their technical
justification, and details of correction methods and their effects on the results.
NOTE Output parameters can be corrected by applying a safety factor, life factor or margin of safety.
Such corrections can also be applied to the debris population, especially if there has been a sudden large
increase in the population due to a debris generation event that has not yet been modelled.
e) The results of the impact flux assessment and the methodology used.
5.3.3 The records shall be evaluated and confirmed by reviewers during the appropriate review stages
of a project.
6 International project
For an international project, the following items should be agreed amongst member bodies before
starting the project:
a) the applicable meteoroid and space debris environment models for the project;
b) the method of maintenance of the meteoroid and space debris environment models.
4 © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

Annex A
(informative)
Capability of some meteoroid environment models
A.1 Model overview
A.1.1 Gruen et al. model
[3]
The Gruen model assumes an isotropic meteoroid distribution that is based on lunar crater, zodiacal
light and in situ measurement data.
A.1.2 Divine model
[4]
The Divine model assumes a non-isotropic distribution that is based on five populations in particle
mass, inclination, eccentricity and perihelion distance.
A.1.3 Divine-Staubach model
[5]
The Divine-Staubach model is a follow-up of the Divine model, using new data from GALILEO and
ULYSSES dust detectors.
A.1.4 NASA SSP-30425 model
[6]
The SSP-30425 (Space Station Program Natural Environment Definition for Design) model describes
a space environment for ISS design.
A.1.5 IMEM model
Dikarev used an improved and controlled data set and applied refined mathematical methods in
order to describe three-dimensional distributions of orbital elements (instead of the mathematically
[7]
separable distributions of Divine) .
A.1.6 MEM model
Near 1 AU fluxes are calibrated from the Gruen model. A constant mass density of 1,0 g/cm is assumed
[8][9]
and the velocity distributions are independent from the particle sizes .
A.2 Model specifications
Table A.1 shows specifications of meteoroid models listed in A.1.
Table A.1 — Meteoroid model specifications
Model
Model
Gruen et Divine-
[4] [6] [7] [8][9]
specifications
Divine SSP 30425 IMEM MEM
[3] [5]
al. Staubach
Sporadic or
Sporadic Sporadic Sporadic Sporadic Sporadic Sporadic
stream
a
...