Dust Particle Removal by Electrostatic and Dielectrophoretic Forces with Applications to NASA Exploration Missions

Abstract

The dusty lunar environment can hinder NASA's exploration missions because of its ability to cling to most surfaces. The lunar dust is expected to be electrostatically charged due to solar UV irradiation and its exposure to the solar wind and to cosmic rays. As a result, NASA has an active dust mitigation program that is currently studying possible dust mitigation technologies. The Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center, in collaboration with several universities, has been working to develop an ac- tive dust mitigation technology for the last few years. In this paper, we report on our efforts to develop the Dust Shield, a dust removal technology that uses electrostatic and dielectro- phoretic forces to remove dust already deposited on surfaces and to prevent the accumulation of dust particles approaching those surfaces. We also include results of computer simulations of charged particles interacting with these systems.