Lunar Dust: A Comprehensive Review of Lunar Surface Properties and Simulations to Facilitate Technology Development and Mission Planning
Conference Proceeding
Overview
abstract
Lunar dust poses a major risk to crew and system safety and; performance. As we look towards the Artemis missions and; longer surface stays, the development of robust and; reliable technologies for lunar surface missions becomes; critical. The Apollo missions enabled a greater; understanding of the lunar surface properties at; near-equatorial illuminated regions, resulting in the; development of dust mitigation technologies and protocols.; Despite these advancements, lunar dust has remained a major; problem. To design technologies and protocols to mitigate; the “lunar dust problem,” the properties of lunar dust at; future mission sites must be thoroughly understood. The; insulative nature of lunar regolith and direct interaction; with the plasma environment surrounding the Moon causes; regions to charge to a site-specific electrostatic; potential, which is affected by topography, illumination; conditions, environmental variations (lunar orbital; location, solar wind changes), and local regolith; properties. Furthermore, the lunar lander will induce; plume-surface interactions during descent and landing; operations, affecting the local topography through; cratering and subsequently altering the illumination; conditions at the landing site. Conductive surface assets,; such as the lander, thermal radiators, and solar panels,; may also alter the near-surface electric fields. The high; level of uncertainty in the electromagnetic environment; characterization renders the prediction of regolith; charging and dust dynamics extremely challenging. In this; article, we present a comprehensive description of lunar; surface properties and simulations, along with a summary of; current dust mitigation strategies, to facilitate; technology development and mission planning.
