Liquid nitrogen spray could clean up stubborn moon dust

A liquid nitrogen spray developed by Washington State College researchers can take away nearly all the simulated moon dust from a space go well with, probably fixing what’s a big problem for future moon-landing astronauts.

The sprayer eliminated greater than 98% of moon dust simulant in a vacuum setting with minimal injury to spacesuits, performing higher than any strategies which have been investigated beforehand. The researchers report on their work within the journal, Acta Astronautica.

Whereas folks have managed to place males on the moon, they have not found out tips on how to hold them clear there. Just like the clingiest packaging peanuts, moon dust sticks to every part that it touches. Worse than the packing peanuts, the dust consists of very high-quality particles which can be the consistency of floor fiberglass.

“Moon dust is electrostatically charged, abrasive and will get in every single place, making it a really tough substance to take care of,” mentioned Ian Wells, first writer on the paper and a senior in WSU’s College of Mechanical and Supplies Engineering. “You find yourself with a high-quality layer of dust at least simply protecting every part.”

Throughout the six crewed Apollo missions to the moon within the Sixties and early Nineteen Seventies, astronauts used a brush to attempt to take away the dust from their spacesuits, however it did not work very nicely. The abrasive and tiny dust particles can get into engines and electronics. In addition they acquired into the spacesuits, destroying their seals and making among the costly fits unusable. Astronauts additionally suffered from “lunar hay fever,” and researchers suppose {that a} longer publicity to the dust might trigger lung injury just like that of Black Lung Illness.

“It posed numerous issues that affected the missions in addition to the astronauts as soon as they returned residence,” mentioned Wells.

The NASA Artemis mission goals to land the primary lady and first individual of shade on the moon in 2025 with the hope of ultimately organising a base camp there for additional planetary exploration, so they’re interested by discovering an answer to the moon dust drawback.

Of their work, the analysis group demonstrated their know-how that makes use of the Leidenfrost Impact to scrub the space suits. The impact could be seen when one pours cold water on a scorching frying pan, the place it beads up and strikes throughout the pan. Spray the very chilly liquid nitrogen at a hotter dust-covered materials, and the dust particles bead up and float away on the nitrogen vapor.

The group examined their cleansing technique beneath regular atmospheric situations and in a vacuum that’s extra just like outer space with the sprayer performing higher within the vacuum environment.

The liquid nitrogen spray was additionally a lot gentler on spacesuit supplies than different cleansing strategies. Whereas a brush triggered injury to the spacesuit materials after only one brushing, the liquid nitrogen spray took 75 cycles earlier than injury occurred.

The researchers’ revolutionary cleansing thought took a prime prize final 12 months at NASA’s Breakthrough, Modern and Sport-changing (BIG) Concept Problem. Along with Wells, undergraduate researchers on the paper included John Bussey and Nathaniel Swets. Jacob Leachman, affiliate professor within the College of Mechanical and Supplies Engineering, led the mission.

The researchers are actually working to totally perceive and mannequin the complex interactions between the dust particles and liquid nitrogen that permits the cleansing course of to work. They’re additionally hoping to additional check the know-how in situations that extra carefully approximate outer space, comparable to in lunar gravity.