Lunar dust transport and potential interactions with power system components

Lunar Dust on Heat Rejection System Surfaces: Problems and Prospects

“…Similarly, one hundred 1 mm diameter meteoroids would impinge on the same area per year, with each raising about 25 mg of dust. Katzan and Edwards (1991) have estimated that the total dust accumulation from primary and secondary micrometeoroid impacts to be about 0.1 g/m 2 -yr.…”

“…With no appreciable atmosphere, dust particles once set in motion will, to first order, follow Newton's laws of projectile motion. An analysis of the impact of these activities by Katzan and Edwards (1991) found that, by a large margin, dust is expected to be most widely transported by landing and launching. Movement of lunar dust due to engine plume was observed by Apollo astronauts at altitudes of about 35 m (Gaier, 2005).…”

“…With just one nearby landing, Surveyor 3 accumulated a layer of dust 1 mg/cm 2 (Caroll and Blair, 1972). It has been estimated that multiple landings and departures at a lunar outpost may affect areas as far away as 1.5 km (Katzan and Edwards, 1991).…”

“…Particles kicked up by walking can reach heights of several meters and can land as far as 8 m form their source. (Katzan and Edwards, 1991).…”

Exploration Rover Concepts and Development Challenges

“…Thicker accumulations will degrade radiator system performance and hence must be kept acceptably low. 25 Dust can be scattered from the lunar surface by thruster firings of the lander, impacts by larger meteoroids, and by temporary raising of dust from the surface along the terminators (the boundaries between day and night) due to charging by solar ultraviolet radiation. Although the last mechanism is not well understood, photoionization can levitate dust up to 10 m above the lunar surface.…”