An exciting new phase of lunar exploration
NASA is gearing up for an exciting new phase of lunar exploration, and LASP scientists are leading the way!
From the Apollo and other missions, we know the Moon is the product of a cataclysmic collision between a Mars-sized body and early Earth. Because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, its surface has changed more slowly than Earth’s during the past few billion years. Its dust, craters, and maria—the “seas” of dark volcanic rocks—host important clues regarding our solar system’s early history.
The video shown above is a time-lapse of dust removal from a lunar-like rock using EBDM. The total duration of the video is ~10 mins.
The Electron Beam Dust Mitigation (EBDM) technology was originally developed for cleaning dust from the surfaces of exploration systems. EBDM relies on an electron beam to charge dust particles that are repelled off surfaces. The technology was first demonstrated at the IMPACT lab at LASP, showing high cleaning efficiency and efficacy. Space Dust Research & Technologies LLC advanced the technology with the development of a prototype device achieving TRL 5. In addition to mitigating dust for exploration, EBDM can be used to remove dust from natural surfaces on the Moon to enable science investigations. It was recently demonstrated that EBDM is suitable to remove fine dust from lunar rocks to enhance remote sensing studies of the geotechnical, mineralogical, and/or compositional properties of the rocks.
Read more about EBDM here: Solving the dilemma of space dust: LASP researchers win prestigious NASA prize for dust mitigation instrument – Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
NASA is gearing up for an exciting new phase of lunar exploration, and LASP scientists are leading the way!
From the Apollo and other missions, we know the Moon is the product of a cataclysmic collision between a Mars-sized body and early Earth. Because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, its surface has changed more slowly than Earth’s during the past few billion years. Its dust, craters, and maria—the “seas” of dark volcanic rocks—host important clues regarding our solar system’s early history.