Goals
In order to enable a sustainable exploration of the Moon, the focus group’s goals include identifying needs and gaps in dust mitigation, providing recommendations to foster development, and fielding that technology on future missions.
Vision
Lunar dust is a major challenge to robotic and human systems that impacts our ability to enable a sustainable presence on the Moon. The Dust Mitigation Focus Group aims to build a broad and diverse community of lunar and technology experts interested in identifying and developing solutions that minimizes the impact and hazard of lunar dust on robotic and human systems.
Year 1 Accomplishments
- The Dust Mitigation Workshop was held on Thursday, February 4, 2021. The primary aim for this virtual workshop was to bring together members of the community, including lunar architecture systems and technology developers, dust mitigation technology developers, and scientists, to solicit input and discuss outstanding challenges and gaps in dust mitigation as well as identify areas that may be in need of future investment.
- The event's objectives was to update the state of dust mitigation and identify technologies that are already available, define gaps in knowledge and research, get community perspectives, and gather input for future solicitations. A report summarizing key outcomes of this workshop was provided to NASA.
- The workshop consisted of a combination of invited presentations from NASA representatives and the community, contributed lightning talks, and breakout discussion sessions. Niki Werkheiser, NASA STMD and lead of the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, was our keynote speaker.
- Brief talks, time for discussion and questions, and the breakout sessions allowed for deeper discussions of what technologies are already available, what current outstanding challenges and gaps in dust mitigation exit, whether in knowledge or technology, and identify next steps and priorities for future opportunities.
- For more, click here.
Year 2 Goals
To continue to make progress towards the focus group goals, the Dust Mitigation Focus Group has decided to form the following 7 subgroups:
- Materials & Surface Coatings
- Seals, Soft Goods, & Fabrics
- Mechanisms
- Monitoring & Filtration
- Modeling
- Lunar Surface Modification
- Isolation Technologies
Establishing formal subgroups aligned with specific topics within dust mitigation will allow the group to more effectively identify the needs and gaps, provide recommendations, and field technology on future missions.
If you are interested in participating in the subgroups, please fill out this survey.
Monthly Meeting Schedule
The LSIC Dust Mitigation monthly meetings usually occur on the third Thursday of the month at 12:00 PM ET. For meeting information and agendas, please see the LSIC Wiki on Confluence. To gain access to the Confluence page, please email lsic-wiki-admins@listserv.jhuapl.edu.
Materials & Surface Coatings
This subgroup will focus on how dust affects materials and surface coatings and explore mitigation tactics. Topics of interest include optical systems (viewports, camera lenses, solar panels, space suit visors, mass spectrometers, and other sensitive optical instruments) and thermal surfaces (thermal radiators, thermal painted surfaces, and thermal connections).
Seals, Soft Goods, & Fabrics
This subgroup will focus on how dust affects seals, soft goods, and fabrics and explore mitigation tactics. When looking at fabrics, topics of interest include space suit fabrics, soft wall habitats, and mechanism covers. Topics of interest for seals and soft goods include space suit interfaces, hatches, connectors, and hoses.
Mechanisms
This subgroup will focus on how dust affects mechanisms like linear actuators, bearings, rotary joints, hinges, quick disconnects, valves, and linkages, and explore mitigation tactics.
Monitoring & Filtration
This subgroup will focus on how monitoring and filtration factor into dust mitigation. Topics of interest include dust monitoring (cabin and external dust monitoring) and gaseous filtration (atmosphere revitalization, ISRU processes).
Modeling
This subgroup will focus on modeling dust plumes on the lunar surface to contribute to the focus group’s efforts on mitigation.
Lunar Surface Modification
This subgroup will focus on how lunar surface modification will impact dust mitigation. Topics of interest include lunar landing pads, dust free zones, and workspaces.
Isolation Technologies
This subgroup will focus on exploring technologies that keep dust out as a part of the dust mitigation effort.
