Studies of hypervelocity impact phenomena as applied to the protection of spacecraft operating in the MMOD environment

In keeping with the tradition of the Hypervelocity Impact Society, this paper is a written version of the keynote address I presented at the start of 2015 Hypervelocity Impact Symposium as the recipient of the Society's Distinguished Scientist Award. It covers the highlights of my nearly 30 year career working in the area of hypervelocity impact phenomenology, mainly as it is applied to the protection of humans and spacecraft that work an operate in the micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) environment.