Analysis of Micrometeoroid Environment Characteristics Using Meteor Radar Data from the Meridian Project

Micrometeoroids represent a significant factor threatening the safety of China’s spacecraft in space. Historically, numerous incidents of spacecraft anomalies due to meteoroid impacts have been reported; therefore, conducting modeling studies on the meteoroid environment is of great significance. This study utilizes observational data from the Mohe Station of China’s Meridian Project to retrieve the characteristics of micrometeoroids in near-Earth space. We analyzed the temporal-spatial distribution of micrometeoroids over China’s mid-to-high latitudes, specifically examining parameters including number, velocity, altitude, azimuth, zenith angle, and flux. Furthermore, physical properties such as mass were derived from the observational data. The results indicate that meteoroid activity exhibits distinct seasonal and diurnal variations: activity is higher in summer than in winter and significantly higher at night than during daytime. In addition, the spatial distribution of meteoroids is non-uniform and primarily concentrated in the northwest direction; their velocities predominantly range from 20 to 80 km·s^–1, and altitudes are mainly concentrated on 75-125 km. Comparing the retrieved inversed flux results with the classical Grün model indicates that there is good consistency between the two sets of results for the flux of larger-sized meteoroids. This research can provide technical support for developing China's independent meteoroid environment modeling studies.