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Detail of one of the detector panels.

Panels such as this measure 20 by 40 inches. The outer surface consists of thin sheets of aluminum on a sheet of Mylar plastic. The back surface of the Mylar is coated with a thin layer of copper. These layers are mounted on a foam core, and basically form a capacitor.

A 40-volt electrical charge was placed across the surface of each side of the panel. When a panel was pierced by a meteoroid, a portion of the panel material was vaporized, forming a conductive gas which discharged the capacitor. The gas would disipate almost immediately, allowing the capacitor to recharge.

Circuitry in the satellite was able to record and relay these impacts, providing NASA with data regarding the micrometeoroid environment around the Earth.