Can astronaut suits repel lunar dust? This team believes so
University team takes a look at the moon s ghastly, sticky blanket and how astronauts could keep it off.
When multiple talented engineers go into the same room (or Zoom call), awesome things can happen, especially when experts in other disciplines also pitch in. Case in point: engineers and designers recently collaborated on how to protect spacesuits from lunar dust.
Moon dust can be a big problem for astronauts. Image credits: NASA.
Moondust is unlike the light powdery stuff we’re used to seeing on Earth. Earthly dust is more “well-behaved” on your average windowsill, it obeys eviction under a soft cloth. But lunar soil is abrasive and fine-grained, and those tiny grains make it much more problematic. It sticks to everything. It can clog machinery, scratch lenses, ruin an entire mission. The long-term effects of moondust exposure are even more dangerous.