Impact Accelerometer
MEMS Accelerometer Array for Impact Detection
The MEMS accelerometer array for impact detection is a one-kilogram solid-state sensor network mounted on an inner pressure wall to detect structural shock waves from physical impacts. Utilizing 20 multi-axis sensors drawing 3 watts, the system measures shock loads from 1 to 1000 g to estimate shock vectors and severity. Operating in the unshielded lunar radiation environment across a 25-year lifetime requires radiation-tolerant integrated circuits and analog-to-digital converters. The distributed array cross-correlates data with acoustic monitoring systems while differentiating direct structural strikes from ambient lunar seismic cross-coupling.
MEMS accelerometer array on the inner pressure wall providing additional impact-detection modality with shock-magnitude estimation.
Purpose
MEMS accelerometer array on the inner pressure wall providing additional impact-detection modality with shock-magnitude estimation.
Context
Child of L2-MMD-DET within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸MEMS accelerometers detect shock waves from impact
- ▸Cross-correlation with acoustic for impact severity
- ▸Long-life solid-state sensors
- ▸Multi-axis sensing for shock-vector estimation
- ▸Coupled with L3-NAV-IMU-ACCEL for global event detection
Typical implementations
- ▸NASA MMOD detection R&D
- ▸Industrial shock monitoring
- ▸Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments
Lunar considerations
- ▸Distributed array vs single high-precision sensor
- ▸Rad-tolerant ASIC electronics
- ▸Cross-coupling with seismic monitoring (L1-SSM)
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | MEMS accelerometer array on the inner pressure wall providing additional impact-detection modality with shock-magnitude estimation. |
| sensors | 20 |
| shock range g | 1, 1000 |
Physical
| mass kg | 1 |
| materials | MEMS accelerometers, Rad-tolerant ADC |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 3 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 25 |
| mtbf hours | 200000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Shock wave telemetry
- Cross-validation with seismic
Requires
- Sensors (~3 W)
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Impact Accelerometer" (L3-MMD-DET-ACCEL). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-MMD-DET-ACCEL
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.