1.   Already, the shuttle has suffered minor damage from orbital debris on several occasions, though none so far has posed a serious threat.

2.   A companion Japanese experiment will catch samples of the micro-meteoroids and small pieces of man-made orbital debris that strike the orbital base.

3.   A recent Johnson Space Center analysis concludes that the station is such a large target that damage from orbital debris or meteoroids is inevitable.

4.   But some solutions are relatively simple, like protecting thermal radiators on the shuttle from orbital debris by wrapping freon cooling loops with an extra layer of aluminum tape.

5.   Military radars that track orbital debris tell NASA when large pieces of junk are likely to get near a shuttle, which can change its orbit.

6.   The Defense Department said the test would not destroy the satellite, produce orbital debris or pose any risk to other spacecraft.

7.   The incident highlights the growing problem of orbital debris, but the shuttle is not the only worry.

8.   The report was the second this year dealing with orbital debris.