Innovative Partnership Finds Answers to Modeling Lunar Dust


AUTHOR(S)

C. A. Dunn, C. Calle, R. LaRoche

PUBLISHER

NASA

SOURCE

ASK

YEAR

ABSTRACT

A major problem facing manned or unmanned missions to the moon is lunar dust. Dr. Carlos Calle, founder and director of the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center, is familiar with the problem. He has carefully reviewed Apollo mission reports and debriefings to familiarize himself with problems encountered during those missions. The Apollo astronauts had limited visibility during descent due to dust effects, and NASA was uncertain how the astronauts’ health would be affected as they inhaled and ingested the dust. During the Apollo 15 mission, a camera failed because highly abrasive dust entered the drive mechanism.

KEYWORDS

electrostatics, Lunar dust

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