Annoying moon dust is a bothersome hindrance to astronauts landing on the moon – it sticks to almost everything. New research from Washington State University may have cracked the code for keeping spacesuits dust-free, because pressurized liquid nitrogen is used to literally blow dust off the surface.
During testing, the research team found that sprayers filled with liquid nitrogen removed an average of 98% of dust adhering to fabrics when used in a vacuum to simulate air locking. The spray did not damage the spacesuit worn by the simulated astronaut – a Barbie doll in a lunar outfit – as a result of the treatment. This research was published last month in extraterrestrial act.
At the same time, the team found that over 233 cycles in 26 spacesuit samples, the liquid nitrogen aerosol slightly degraded the texture of the spacesuit. To simulate moon dust, researchers used volcanic ash from Mount St. Helens, as well as materials from Offplanet Research and Exolith Labs.
In their study, the scientists wrote that lunar dust is “hazardous to human health and equipment, making mitigation extremely important for lunar missions.” “Cryogenic liquid aerosol is a recently developed concept that is simple and suitable for dust reduction in the lunar environment.”
Astronauts on the Apollo missions to the Moon used brushes to try to remove moon dust from their clothing, but this method damaged the cloth from the constant friction and hardness of the moon dust.
G/O Media may earn commissions
“Moon dust is electrostatically charged, abrasive and dispersive, which makes it a very difficult material to work with,” said Ian Wells of Washington State University. pers conference. Wells was the first author on the paper and a student at Washington State University’s College of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. “You end up with the minimum thin layer of dust that just covers everything.”
Liquid nitrogen spray bypasses the use of physical corrosion in favor of the Leidenfrost effect, which is usually seen when wisps of cold water dance over a hot pot, because it is isolated from hot surfaces by a layer of steam beneath. Spraying works in a similar way, say Wells and colleagues; Cold liquid nitrogen droplets onto warmer spacesuits enveloping dust particles before floating onto the surface of the fabric.
TThe researchers cleaned the spacesuits in a sweeping motion using a liquid nitrogen spray (see center image above)., which is an effective way to remove simulated dust. AAfter cleaning the stainBut, That The suit looks a bit dirty (see top right image), so we contacted Wells for clarification. He he said thatIt is possible that certain sized particles are successfully removed from the suit, while others are left behind, making the suit look dirtier. Wells also suggested that any on-site maintenance on the suit might introduce dust that settles after the initial sweep.
Moon dust is a very fine material, but also very sharp – it can cause even small tears in spacesuits and shoes and can even cause health problems. Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmidt taking notes “Moon hay fever” Moon dust settles in the lungs and causes inflammation and congestion. Dust particles can roam habitats and modules on space suits, and because the moon’s gravity is much less than Earth’s, they would linger around much longer only to be inhaled by unsuspecting astronauts. This is why effective spacesuit cleaning is so important.
“[Lunar dust] “It created a lot of issues that impacted the mission as well as the astronauts once they returned home,” Wells said in a press release.
Apparently, the researchers didn’t know how this spray would work inside a lunar lander parked on the Moon, where the gravity is about 16.6% that of Earth’s. Also, this clean-up technology would require sprayers and barrels designed for spaceflight, and missions would have to include liquid nitrogen surcharges. With all that said, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives, making liquid nitrogen purge technology a worthwhile investment for future missions to the moon.
NASA is sending more astronauts to the moon As part of the Artemis program, with two crew members Landing at the south pole of the moon Not before 2025. As the Artemis program ushers in a new era of lunar exploration—with humans spending more time than ever on the surface—an efficient way to clean spacesuits is one detail the agency needs to consider in order to promote humans’ smooth footing on the moon.
This post has been updated to include Wells’ explanation of why attempted spot cleaning appears less hygienic than general cleaning efforts.
again: We need a standard month
