Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to The reality will intrude on the myth

re: The reality...

First, I think you are confusing the Moon with Mars. The primary radiation levels are lower than on the Moon. Very probably the vast majority of dust on Mars is from weathering not impacts (it has lost most of it's rough edges). The two rovers have survived Mars for about two Earth years with little difficulty (it would seem your sulfuric acid is a red herring).

I think you should logically be more concerned over the Moon's environmental hazards...as that is the next stop and we haven't a clue what to do about it right now...

The Effects of Lunar Dust on EVA Systems During the Apollo Missions

Summary
Mission documents from the six Apollo missions that landed on the lunar surface have been studied in order to catalog the effects of lunar dust on Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) systems, primarily the Apollo surface space suit. It was found that the effects could be sorted into nine categories: vision obscuration, false instrument readings, dust coating and contamination, loss of traction, clogging of mechanisms, abrasion, thermal control problems, seal failures, and inhalation and irritation. Although simple dust mitigation measures were sufficient to mitigate some of the problems (i.e., loss of traction) it was found that these measures were ineffective to mitigate many of the more serious problems (i.e., clogging, abrasion, diminished heat rejection). The severity of the dust problems were consistently underestimated by ground tests, indicating a need to develop better simulation facilities and procedures.

(further down)

Conclusions and Recommendations
Dust on the lunar surface proved to be more problematic than anyone had anticipated. Gene Cernan in the Apollo 17 Technical Debriefing remarked

“I think dust is probably one of our greatest inhibitors to a nominal operation on the Moon. I think we can overcome other physiological or physical or mechanical problems except dust.”

All of the Apollo missions were adversely affected by the dust due to included visual obscuration, false instrument readings, dust coating and contamination, loss of traction, clogging of mechanisms, abrasion, thermal control problems, seal failures, and inhalation and irritation.

Simple dust mitigation measures were sufficient to mitigate some problems like loss of traction, but for many such as thermal control problems, adhesion, and abrasion, it is clear that new technologies must be developed. Some mitigation strategies, such as vibration have been tried and found lacking. Others, such as brushing appeared to work much better in ground tests than they did in the lunar environment. Clearly, an important area is the development of better simulation environments than were used in the Apollo era. This may include the use of better simulants, higher vacuum, correlated simulations, and more realistic thermal and illumination environments.

Finally, the pervasiveness of the dust and the problems it causes were summed up by Gene Cernan in his Technical Debrief

“Dust - I think probably one of the most aggravating, restricting facets of lunar surface exploration is the dust and its adherence to everything no matter what kind of material, whether it be skin, suit material, metal, no matter what it be and it's restrictive friction-like action to everything it gets on. For instance, the simple large tolerance mechanical devices on the Rover began to show the effect of dust as the EVAs went on. By the middle or end of the third EVA, simple things like bag locks and the lock which held the pallet on the Rover began not only to malfunction but to not function at all. They effectively froze. We tried to dust them and bang the dust off and clean them, and there was just no way. The effect of dust on mirrors, cameras, and checklists is phenomenal. You have to live with it but you're continually fighting the dust problem both outside and inside the spacecraft. Once you get inside the spacecraft, as much as you dust yourself, you start taking off the suits and you have dust on your hands and your face and you're walking in it. You can be as careful in cleaning up as you want to, but it just sort of inhabits every nook and cranny in the spacecraft and every pore in your skin.”

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/ pao/History/alsj/TM-2005-213610.pdf

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