Devise active countermeasures to remove dust from surfaces in a lunar environment. We target mainly optical surfaces and airtight seals due to their mission criticality for science, exploration, in-situ resource utilisation, and manned missions.

 

The lunar environment has a challenging dust environment. The dust is highly abrasive and therefore can cause considerable damage in short time. For astronauts, the dust effects range from highly irritating to toxic. Many sample processing and sample analysis systems need reliable seals; spaceflight hardware must work reliably in the presence of dust.

 

For environments with no or a thin atmosphere an electrostatic solution in combination with appropriate preparation (optical surfaces) / appropriate material selection and seal design (e.g. seals of containers, ovens, hatches) Seems to be a potential method (in opposition to mechanical methods) that minimizes mechanical degradation of the related surfaces.

 

The usage of electric fields is to be investigated as a means to move the dust away from mission critical surfaces such as optical lenses and seals. The required adaptation of optical surfaces (for example electrode pattern deposition, etc) and seals (for example non-conductive seals with embedded conductive elements, or conductive seals mounted on non-conductive interfaces, etc) as well as the control of dust via appropriate element / electrode potential variation shall be designed, tested, characterized, and documented.

 

The activity encompasses the following:

? Requirements review (environment, particulate contamination requirements)

? Review of countermeasures and selection

? Breadboard design and test

? Outlook and implementation recommendation