Space History Photo: Impact Studies

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In this 1963 photo an energy flash, the product of a projectile hitting a solid surface at up to 17,000 mph, is shown. (Image credit: NASA.)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, the "energy flash" produced when a projectile launched at speeds up to 17,000 mph impacts a solid surface is shown. The test was performed at the Hypervelocity Ballistic Range at NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California.

This test is used to simulate what happens when a piece of orbital debris hits a spacecraft in orbit.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

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NASA Archives

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. government agency in charge of the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.