OUR PROBLEM

Dust is, to this day, one of the major obstacles for nominal operations on the Moon. Regolith contamination posed many challenges to the Apollo missions.

Regolith are particles present on lunar soil. Their small size and chemical properties make them a harm for both astronauts and ship equipment, since they can penetrate minuscule spaces and are not always visible or easily removable.

As for the threats it poses to humans, regolith is able to cross the suits's layers due to its diminutive size, around 70 mícrons. That way it can cause cardiorespiratory diseases, inflammation due to oxidative stress, affect metabolic paths and possibly alter the DNA, much similar to the dire asbestos.

OUR SOLUTION

We propose a multifactor approach to the problem.

Our first solution consists in a depressurization chamber, where HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters and specific air flow would remove the majority of the particles on the surface of the suit through a process similar to the one used today to purify the air in NB3 clinical labs (the ones prepared to manipulate patogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis). The filters's mesh is composed of glass microfibers which purifies the air with 99,995% efficiency, filtering particles down to 0,3 mícrons.

Our second solution focuses on preventing regolith from adhering to the spacesuit on extraveicular missions, using a coating that could be peeled off and thrown away. The coating will consist in a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol, propylene glycol (plasticizer component) and water. This mixture will result in a viscous liquid that once dried, would form a protective layer around the space suits, capturing regolith particles. Upon return to the base, the protective layer covered in regolith would be peeled off and discarded before entering the main compartiment. The discarded material could be put away alongside human waste, since it is biodegradable and soluble in water.

The components of the mixture are safe for humans, and are commonly used for aesthetic purposes. Aside from its non-hazardous characteristics, the main component, polyvinyl alcohol, is a light-weigh, cheap powder (approximately 137 USD per kilogram).

CHALLENGES

The greatest challenge we faced was testing our hypothesis, since we were not able to access any sample of regolith nor a laboratory structure to experiment on different ratios of the components we proposed for the coating mixture. Another note-worthy challenge is predicting its behavior on a different environment, with distinct gravity, temperature and pressure. Lastly, it is a strech to assume the conditions reported by Apollo's astronauts are solely due to regolith contamination.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

If the project were to be carried along, some improvements we would like to make are increasing the coating's resistance, in order for it to provide extra protection to the suit, and measuring the efficiency of the HEPA filters in a extended period of time and defining the logistics for its replacement and disposal.