EDS technology is ready for testing in real space missions
Exploring the Moon and other dusty places in space poses a great challenge for scientists and engineers. The surface of the Moon is covered with regolith — small rock particles that can cause premature wear of equipment and pose a health hazard to astronauts. Astronauts heading to Mars will also face problems caused by dust that can settle on solar panels, leading to reduced power consumption.
In light of these challenges, NASA is working to develop an electrodynamic dust shield that is designed to remove dust and protect surfaces from solar panels to spacesuits.
Researchers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are developing a technology called «Electrodynamic Dust Shield» (EDS). This project, started in 2004, is based on the electric curtain concept developed in 1967, but with improvements — the new EDS has been in development since 2004.
The dust problem is of great importance not only for scientific missions, but also for commercial projects such as the Artemis mission. Dr. Charles Buhler, lead scientist, emphasizes: “For the CPLS and Artemis missions, dust exposure is a pressing issue because the lunar surface is very different from what we are used to here.”
Regolith on the Moon is abrasive, like tiny pieces of glass, and is not subject to the weathering processes that occur on Earth. Even brushing the material away can cause problems for the equipment and the health of astronauts.
Astronauts of the Apollo mission collected samples of lunar regolith, some of these samples were used in tests. EDS technology has been successfully tested in vacuum chambers to simulate space conditions, with promising results. The technology has already been tested on glass panels and spacesuit fabrics aboard the ISS and on Intuitive Machines' first lunar rover. Additionally, EDS technology was used in the EagleCam CubeSat camera lenses.
Data collection is currently underway, and future space missions will use the EDS concept to further test its ability to keep machinery and people safe in dusty environments.