Dust is the most dangerous thing on the Moon. Its particles are small and sharp. They can severely damage mechanisms, spacesuits and even people’s health. That is why NASA is very careful in developing means to fight it.
Lunar regolith problem in Moon exploration missions
In addition to extreme temperatures, a 14-day diurnal cycle, and an airless environment, the Moon has a regolith (also known as lunar dust) problem. In addition to being rough and uneven, regolith sticks to everything because it is electrostatically charged. Because this dust is detrimental to the health of astronauts and their equipment and machinery, NASA is developing technologies to reduce dust accumulation. Seven of these experiments will be conducted during flight tests using Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket to evaluate their ability to reduce the effects of lunar dust.
Another major problem with lunar regolith is how it is lifted and distributed by spacecraft plumes. Because of its almost complete lack of atmosphere and lower gravity (16.5 percent of Earth’s), this dust can remain in the air for long periods. Its rough nature, resulting from billions of years of falling meteors and micrometeoroids and a complete lack of weathering, is abrasive to any surface it comes in contact with, from spacesuits and equipment to human skin, eyes and lungs. It will also build up on solar panels, preventing missions from getting enough power to survive the lunar night.
It can also cause equipment overheating as it coats heat sinks and builds up on windows, camera lenses and visors, making it difficult to see, navigate, and capture accurate images.
Solving the dust problem
These technologies were developed as part of NASA’s Game Changing Development program at the agency’s Space Mission Directorate (STMD). The flight test, “Lunar Gravity Simulation with Suborbital Rocket,” will study the mechanics of regolith and lunar dust transport in a simulated lunar gravity environment. The payload includes projects to reduce and clean up dust using a variety of strategies. Among them:
ClothBot: this compact robot is designed to simulate and measure the behavior of dust in a pressurized environment that astronauts may bring with them after conducting extravehicular vehicle exits (EVAs). The robot relies on pre-programmed movements that mimic the astronauts’ movements during spacesuit removal (called “dumping”), releasing a small dose of simulated lunar regolith. A laser-illuminated imaging system will then capture the dust stream in real-time, and sensors will record the size and number of particles.
Electrostatic Dust Lift (EDL): EDL will study how lunar dust “lifts” when it becomes electrostatically charged to improve dust lift models. During the lunar gravity phase of the mission, a sample of dust will be released, which EDL will illuminate with an ultraviolet light source, causing the particles to become charged. The dust will then pass through the sheet laser, rising from the surface while the EDL observes and records the results. The EDL camera will continue to record the dust until the mission is complete, even after the lunar gravity phase ends and the ultraviolet light turns off.
Hermes Lunar-G: The Hermes Lunar-G project, developed by NASA, Texas A&M and Texas Space Technology Applications and Research (T-STAR), is based on a vehicle (Hermes) that previously operated on the International Space Station (ISS). Like its predecessor, the Lunar-G project will rely on repurposed Hermes equipment to study simulated lunar regolith. Four canisters of compacted lunar dust simulants will be used for this purpose. When the flight enters the lunar gravity phase, these simulants will disintegrate and float in the canisters while high-speed cameras and sensors collect data. The results will be compared to microgravity data from the ISS and similar flight experiments.
Strategies to reduce dust exposure
Data from these projects will provide information on regolith formation rates, transport and mechanics that will help scientists improve computational models. This will allow mission planners and designers to develop better dust reduction strategies for future missions to the Moon and Mars. This challenge is already impacting several aspects of NASA’s technological developments, from in situ resource utilization (ISRU) and construction to transportation and ground power.
Studying some of the fundamental properties of lunar dust behavior and its impact on systems has implications far beyond dust control and environmental protection. Improving our understanding of lunar dust behavior and improving technologies to reduce its environmental impact will benefit most of the capabilities planned for use on the lunar surface.
Provided by phys.org
