Dust Yourself Off

Background

Blasted by meteor impacts to sizes even smaller than one micron, lunar dust invades and sticks in tiny spaces. Its particles are easily blasted across the lunar surface and to high altitudes by rocket engines. The dust has dielectric properties that cause it to be lifted electro-statically off the surface of the moon to inconvenient locations at inconvenient times.

The threat of lunar dust to human health and spacecraft systems is driving future design and operations of those systems to minimize its effects and mitigate it when present. But how can the dust be mitigated unless we know where the dust is located? It may be too small to see, blending in with the background or hiding in crevices. It would be helpful to identify this dust as early as possible, both inside and outside of lunar spacecraft.

Your challenge is to create a lunar dust inspection/detection system to help in reducing dust presence and/or addressing the hazard it could cause anywhere from the lunar surface to the free-floating conditions inside the spacecraft after it leaves the lunar surface.

Potential Considerations

• Consider the following scenario. Each phase of operation should collectively lead to the least amount of dust in phase 5:

1. When the dust first threatens the system (e.g. astronaut falls during spacewalk).
2. Prior to opening and entering through the spacecraft hatch (e.g. astronaut brushes off their suit).
   Note: Hatch seals are especially vulnerable to dust, so dust should be kept away from these seals.
3. Inside airlock/ascent vehicle—nominal temperature and pressure (e.g., suit is off, astronaut exposed).
4. After entering the ascent vehicle (if airlock first), but prior to lift-off from the lunar surface.
5. While inside the ascent vehicle/lunar orbiter, in a weightless environment.

• Inspection/detection system(s) should minimize size, weight, and power across as many phases as practical. Therefore, it is helpful if the same system can address multiple phases.
• Inspection/detection systems and methods may be different in each phase.
• Lighting conditions could be from extremely dark to extremely bright, and both present with sharp shadows.
• Lunar dust locations vary from being trapped in crevices/cloth, to sitting on a surface or suspended in free-space.
• Even dust too small to be seen with the naked eye can be a very dangerous hazard.
• It is useful for dust mitigation systems/operators to know where dust has been, and where the dust still remains. Mitigation methods such as brushing, vacuuming, blowing, or electro-static adhesion/repulsion should inform the user where and when they should be applied, and how effective these methods have been.

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