{"id":555015,"date":"2023-10-27T16:35:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T20:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=555015"},"modified":"2023-11-08T16:30:56","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T21:30:56","slug":"nasa-supports-tests-of-dust-sensor-to-aid-lunar-landings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-supports-tests-of-dust-sensor-to-aid-lunar-landings\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Supports Tests of Dust Sensor to Aid Lunar Landings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\"><div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\"><p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">2 min read<\/p><h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">NASA Supports Tests of Dust Sensor to Aid Lunar Landings<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NASA Supports Tests of Dust Sensor to Aid Lunar Landings\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KjnMjLN9Hhs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> \n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>University of Central Florida researchers tested an instrument designed to measure the size and speed of surface particles kicked up by the exhaust from a rocket-powered lander on the Moon or Mars. The four tethered flights on Astrobotic\u2019s Xodiac rocket-powered lander took place in Mojave, California, from Sept. 12 through Oct. 4, 2023. Researchers tested the Ejecta STORM technology\u2019s integration with a lander and operation in flight conditions that simulated the plume effects of a lunar lander.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>Astrobotic<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A research team from the University of Central Florida recently tested an instrument designed to measure the size and speed of surface particles kicked up by the exhaust from a rocket-powered lander on the Moon or Mars. Supported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/stmd-flight-opportunities\/\">NASA\u2019s Flight Opportunities<\/a> program, researchers evaluated the instrument in a series of flight tests on Astrobotic\u2019s Xodiac rocket-powered lander in Mojave, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When spacecraft land on the Moon or Mars, the rocket exhaust plume creates regolith ejecta \u2013 abrasive dust and large particles moving at high speeds \u2013 that can damage the lander and surrounding structures. Understanding how a rocket engine\u2019s exhaust affects this ejecta will help mission designers plan more effectively for lunar landings by allowing them to model the soil erosion rate, the particle size distribution, and the velocities associated with plume-surface interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers at the University of Central Florida developed the laser-based instrument, named Ejecta STORM (Sheet Tracking, Opacity, and Regolith Maturity), to answer this need while embracing the Flight Opportunities program\u2019s \u201cfly, fix, fly\u201d ethos to quickly advance the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four tethered flights enabled researchers to test the system\u2019s integration with a lander and operation in flight conditions that simulated the plume effects of a lunar lander. These tests build on data collected during a 2020 flight campaign leveraging Xodiac. These 2020 flight tests, funded by the program\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/stmd-flight-opportunities\/access-flight-tests\/nasa-techflights-solicitation-information\/\">TechFlights<\/a> solicitation, allowed researchers to measure the density and size of particles during terrestrial simulations of lunar landings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers expect the technology to inform model development and reduce risk for future lunar landings, ultimately improving mission design for rover-based planetary science missions, crewed missions to the Moon and other bodies, and in-situ resource utilization. Flight Opportunities is managed at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers\/armstrong\/home\/index.html\">NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center<\/a> in Edwards, California, and is part of the agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/space-technology-mission-directorate\/\">Space Technology Mission Directorate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Chloe Tuck<\/em><\/strong><br><em>Armstrong Flight Research Center<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div 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desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Nov 08, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\"><div class=\"grid-col-4\"><div class=\"subheading\">Editor<\/div><\/div><div class=\"grid-col-8\">Loura Hall<\/div><\/div><div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\"><div class=\"grid-col-4\"><div class=\"subheading\">Contact<\/div><\/div><div class=\"grid-col-8\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-3\"><div>Sarah Mann<\/div><div><a href=\"mailto:sarah.mann@nasa.gov\">sarah.mann@nasa.gov<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 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src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/masten-xodiac_mastenspace-mattkuhnsphoto.jpg?w=546\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/masten-xodiac_mastenspace-mattkuhnsphoto.jpg 546w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/masten-xodiac_mastenspace-mattkuhnsphoto.jpg?resize=205,300 205w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/masten-xodiac_mastenspace-mattkuhnsphoto.jpg?resize=273,400 273w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/masten-xodiac_mastenspace-mattkuhnsphoto.jpg?resize=410,600 410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/moontomarsarchitecture\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Moon to Mars Architecture<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1505\" height=\"852\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?w=1505\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png 1505w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?resize=300,170 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?resize=768,435 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?resize=1024,580 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?resize=400,226 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?resize=600,340 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?resize=900,510 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/moon-and-mars-1.png?resize=1200,679 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1505px) 100vw, 1505px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/armstrong\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Armstrong Flight Research Center<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1229\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/afrc2018-0020-06_eclipse_composite_cropped-1.jpg?w=1229\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/afrc2018-0020-06_eclipse_composite_cropped-1.jpg 4274w, 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720w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/afrc2018-0020-06_eclipse_composite_cropped-1.jpg?resize=960,1200 960w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/afrc2018-0020-06_eclipse_composite_cropped-1.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1229px) 100vw, 1229px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>University of Central Florida researchers tested an instrument designed to measure the size and speed of surface particles kicked up by the exhaust from a rocket-powered lander on the Moon or Mars. The four tethered flights on Astrobotic\u2019s Xodiac rocket-powered lander took place in Mojave, California, from Sept. 12 through Oct. 4, 2023. Researchers tested [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":558275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"66","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":["297718"],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2855,3333,2879],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12898],"coauthors":[11724],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Supports Tests of Dust Sensor to Aid Lunar Landings","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-supports-tests-of-dust-sensor-to-aid-lunar-landings\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-supports-tests-of-dust-sensor-to-aid-lunar-landings\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/fo-astrobotic-ejectastorm-09132023.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/fo-astrobotic-ejectastorm-09132023.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Mann"}],"creator":["Sarah Mann"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA Directorates","Space Technology Mission Directorate","Armstrong Flight Research Center","Flight Opportunities Program"],"dateCreated":"2023-10-27T20:35:06Z","datePublished":"2023-10-27T20:35:06Z","dateModified":"2023-11-08T21:30:56Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Supports Tests of Dust Sensor to Aid Lunar Landings\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-supports-tests-of-dust-sensor-to-aid-lunar-landings\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/fo-astrobotic-ejectastorm-09132023.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-10-27T20:35:06Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Directorates,Space Technology Mission Directorate,Armstrong Flight Research Center,Flight Opportunities Program\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Sarah Mann\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":2,"time_ago":"8 months","featured_image":{"id":558275,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/fo-astrobotic-ejectastorm-09132023.jpg","title":"Astrobotic Ejecta STORM","alt":"Lander and operation in flight conditions simulating the plume effects of a lunar lander.","caption":"University of Central Florida researchers tested an instrument designed to measure the size and speed of surface particles kicked up by the exhaust from a rocket-powered lander on the Moon or Mars. The four tethered flights on Astrobotic\u2019s Xodiac rocket-powered lander took place in Mojave, California, from Sept. 12 through Oct. 4, 2023. Researchers tested the Ejecta STORM technology\u2019s integration with a lander and operation in flight conditions that simulated the plume effects of a lunar lander."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555015"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=555015"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":558429,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555015\/revisions\/558429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555015"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=555015"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=555015"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=555015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}