THE LUNAR SURFACE IS, TO A LARGE EXTENT, COVERED WITH A DUST LAYER SEVERAL METERS THICK. KNOWN AS LUNAR REG…

Public award description

THE LUNAR SURFACE IS, TO A LARGE EXTENT, COVERED WITH A DUST LAYER SEVERAL METERS THICK. KNOWN AS LUNAR REGOLITH, IT HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY METEORITE IMPACTS SINCE THE FORMATION OF A SOLID LUNAR SURFACE BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. THE REGOLITH, WHILE PROMISING AS A FUTURE BUILDING MATERIAL FOR LUNAR INSTALLATIONS, ALSO POSES A HAZARD IN THE FORM OF DUST CLOUDS BEING GENERATED BY ALL FORMS OF GAS EXPANSIONS IN THE HIGH VACUUM ENVIRONMENT OF THE LUNAR SURFACE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY PRONOUNCED DURING SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS; A SINGLE LUNAR LANDING AND TAKE-OFF EMITS THE SAME AMOUNT OF GAS AS THE WHOLE LUNAR ATMOSPHERE CONTAINS. INSTRUMENTS PLACED ON THE MOON BY THE APOLLO MISSION SHOWED MARKED DEGRADATION DUE TO DAMAGE FROM DUST RELEASED DURING THE LANDER'S TAKEOFF. SINCE THERE IS NO AIR MOVEMENT TO REMOVE THE DUST AFTER IT IS DEPOSITED, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT DUST IS NOT DISPLACED DURING EVERYDAY OPERATIONS OF A PERMANENT LUNAR INSTALLATION.