Moon dust is a threat to space missions
Astronauts are struggling with something you might not expect... dust. But this isn’t like any dust seen on Earth. This dust clings to everything. It’s:
- sharp
- electrostatically charged
- impossible to brush off
Worse still, it damages suits with tiny, jagged particles. Under the microscope, Moon dust looks just like shattered glass.
It can infiltrate suits and harm our lungs. And not just for humans. Dust clogs radiators, jams rovers and even blocks solar panels as well. On the Moon, dust can bring entire systems to a halt. It interferes with measurements and drains power. It’s a constant threat to space missions.
Understanding Moon dust in order to remove it
The idea is to fix this problem by using opposite charges to lift dust away. And that's where the DUSTER project comes in. Scientists across Europe are studying Moon dust to understand its behaviour. But there’s a catch. Lunar dust doesn’t behave the same everywhere. lt's constantly changing, depending on the surrounding conditions.
The DUSTER team develops instruments to measure these conditions and determine the charge of the dust as well as the potential needed to remove (or attract) the dust. And by using the opposite charge, one can finally clean up the dust. lt's simple, but it works.
Understanding Moon dust couId unlock solutions for other airless worlds, from asteroids to distant moons. With DUSTER, the team is tackling one of the Moon's toughest challenges to make future missions safer-- for astronauts and equipment alike ... The Moon is just the beginning.
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