Motivation:
International scientific and commercial interests in exploration missions to solar system bodies such as the Moon, asteroids and comets have increased significantly during the last two decades and will continue to increase in the future. One major environmental constraint during exploration missions is the presence of charged dust-like particles, which are present on the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids. The effects of lunar dust on Extra-Vehicular Activity systems can take many forms such as external vision obscuration, false instrument readings, dust coating and contamination, loss of traction, clogging of mechanisms, abrasion, thermal control problems and seal failures. One of the most serious effects is the compromising of astronaut health by irritation and inhalation of lunar dust. Dust exposure and inhalation could have a range of toxic effects on human lunar explorers, especially if longer exposure times become the norm during future manned exploration missions.
Objectives
The goal of DUSTER is to investigate in detail the charging and cohesion of the dust grain in the regolith, which is crucial to understanding the dust transport at the surface of airless bodies. It addresses key questions about the surfacing of airless bodies as observed by telescopes and scientific probes, such as the formation of dust ponds and the dust haze at the limb of the moon observed by the astronaut during the Apollo missions. It also addresses more engineering-oriented concerns regarding the adhesion of dust particles to man-made surfaces (spacecraft, instruments, spacesuits, solar panels, etc.). It also constitutes a first step toward a sensitive surface cleaning device.
Scientific objectives:
- Characterise dust particle charging as a function of their environment and properties (UV, plasma, dust particle properties) both theoretically and experimentally.
- Characterise dust particle transport due to electrostatic forces as a function of their environment and properties (UV, plasma, E-field, dust particle properties) both theoretically and experimentally (in laboratory).
- Determine the E-field needed to move charged dust particles depending on the particle and environmental properties. Improve existing dust particle charging and transportation models
- Develop the algorithms to retrieve the desired parameters from the instrument raw data