Abstract: In a method for the detection of damages to spacecraft caused by the impact of foreign bodies, the ultrasound vibrations caused by an impact are electronically registered and provided to an evaluating unit for the mathematical localization of the location of the damage, whereby the registering and evaluating process is automatically triggered, and known ultrasound vibrations caused by foreign systems are screened out. An apparatus for the carrying out of this method consists of at least three ultrasound sensors arranged spatially on the surface of the body that is to be monitored, as well as an electronic detection and evaluating unit allocated thereto.