Conceptual model of the Lunar Anti-Dust Microgrid lunar lander payload, including an electron beam dust mitigation solution. (Courtesy of Xu Wang)<\/p><\/div>\n

During NASA\u2019s Apollo missions in the late 20th century, astronauts encountered the sticky nature of lunar dust, a pervasive kind of material that stuck to spacesuits and rockets\u2013 virtually anything that neared the moon\u2019s surface.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt more or less coats and covers every surface on the moon which means that no matter where you go on the moon you\u2019re going to encounter it and you\u2019re going to have to deal with it in various ways,\u201d said Paul Hayne, a planetary scientist at CU Boulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lunar dust is highly charged so it is attracted to anything that lands nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe charged effect makes it easier to stick on surfaces. So it\u2019s very hard to get rid of,\u201d Wang said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally these dust particles are sharp. Without wind or water, the moon lacks the same erosion processes that grind down earth\u2019s dust.<\/span><\/p>\n

The moon\u2019s dusty layer is instead the result of meteoroids and charged celestial particles hitting the moon\u2019s surface. Wang said these particles pose a safety risk to space explorers, describing them as akin to \u201cbroken glass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Lunar dust particles] are really abrasive, very sharp. They can cut through the spacesuit fabric so that would be dangerous for astronauts,\u201d Wang said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hayne agreed. He also expressed concern for the health risks of inhaling these particles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTrying to keep the dust off of things is a challenge. And one of the reasons we want to keep dust off of things is that the highly reactive, shards-of-glass nature of the lunar dust means that it can be toxic,\u201d he said.<\/span>
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The LASP team\u2019s idea for their service station involves an electron beam that blasts away the static-y sharp lunar dust particles. Wang and his colleagues are continuing to solve this dust issue at a crucial time for lunar exploration.<\/span><\/p>\n

NASA is in the midst of its newest set of lunar missions called \u201cArtemis.\u201d Future Artemis missions aim to bring insight into living on another planet and inspire future settlements on Mars. The next lunar mission in the Artemis itinerary is set tentatively for 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s talking about \u2018we\u2019re going back to the moon\u2019 but the huge difference from the Apollo missions is that this time we will stay and not for a week, not for months, not for a year, probably for decades,\u201d Wang said. LASP\u2019s service station is meant to aid long term missions to the moon and potentially further, like a rest stop in between a road trip from Boulder to California, described Wang.<\/span><\/p>\n

While he believes himself to be too old to make it to the moon himself, Wang is incredibly passionate about aiding future missions. For him, cosmic dust is not just a career, it\u2019s a passion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you go back even further to how stars form. Stars form by gas and dust. That’s it,\u201d he said. \u201cSo everything\u2019s made of dust.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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