NASA is looking for student ideas to control lunar landing dust

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NASA is looking for student ideas to control lunar landing dust

The Human Probe Challenge logo is superimposed on an artist’s illustration of an Artemis astronaut looking at the lunar surface. Credit: NASA

As NASA and industry partners develop new human landing systems to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back as part of Artemisthe agency asks college students to research solutions to one particularly dusty aspect of the spacecraft’s lunar landing.

NASA’s new Human Probe Challenge invites college students to explore ways to manage or prevent the dust cloud a Space ship Activates when rocket engines are used to land on unprepared surfaces such as the Moon. This effect is called plume-surface interaction and could increase the risk of lunar dust on future human missions.

The moon is covered with a granular rocky substance called The rich, which can be lifted from the surface by rocket engines during descent and ascent. Understanding and reducing these effects are major challenges that NASA must overcome in order to safely reach the lunar surface, said Ashley Curzon, the principal investigator for lunar surface interaction at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The dust can also damage other assets that NASA plans to build on the lunar surface, such as habitats, navigation systems, science experiments, and other critical infrastructure.”

To establish a long-term human presence on and around the Moon for the benefit of humanity, NASA must address the challenges lunar dust presents to these complex missions. This is where Artemis’ generation of problem solvers may help.

For this challenge, NASA is asking undergraduate and graduate students from accredited colleges and universities in the United States to help address the challenges of lunar plumes and dust by seeking innovative systems-level solutions to reduce and manage impacts on future lunar exploration systems. Potential solutions might include developing dust shields, creating dedicated flight hardware to manage plume-surface interactions, finding ways to see through the dust cloud during descent, or track dust during ascent and descent.

NASA will select up to 12 teams to compete in the inaugural Human Probe Challenge Forum in June 2024 in Huntsville, Alabama. Each team will receive a $7,000 stipend to produce a technical paper and any associated design samples or prototypes for submission in a competitive design review to a panel of NASA and industry experts. The top three teams will share a total prize of $18,000, with the first-place team receiving $10,000, the second-place team receiving $5,000, and the third-place team receiving $3,000.

“Our mission is to have a lunar landing capability that allows astronauts to travel to the lunar surface and return safely on a regular basis,” said Lisa Watson Morgan, human landing systems manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. , Alabama. “The challenge of managing dust raised by lunar landers is a top priority, so this is an exciting opportunity for students to work with NASA in advancing humanity’s exploration of the lunar south pole region under Artemis’ leadership. We look forward to seeing what these teams come up with.”

Teams interested in participating in the challenge should review the competition guidelines and eligibility requirements. Teams are encouraged to submit a non-binding notice of intent by October 22, 2023. Submissions are scheduled for March 4, 2024.

more information:
For full details of the competition, visit the Human Lander Challenge website: https://hulc.nianet.org

the quote: NASA Seeks Student Ideas to Control Moon Landing Dust (2023, March 21) Retrieved March 21, 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-03-nasa-student-ideas-moon.html

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