Blue Origin-NASA teams conduct simulated lunar tests to prepare for life on the Moon

A team led by Blue Origin recently conducted a simulated dust reduction test to find ways how to mitigate lunar dust on equipment while on the Moon. The team also included members from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Lockheed Martin Space for the tests that were conducted at the Kennedy Space Center. 

“Living and working on the Moon will require a clear understanding of operating in the unique lunar environment,” Blue Origin said in a statement. “Lunar dust, or regolith, is “sticky” and clings to materials, so dust removal is an important focus of research.”

During the tests conducted in a closed facility, the spacesuit-clad members evaluated a combination of tools while simulating tasks on the lunar surface. “Lessons learned from this test series will inform the extravehicular activity concept of operations for future lunar missions, demonstrating key elements of spacecraft crew dust mitigation,” the company said.

This development marks the Jeff Bezos-owned firm’s entry into operations beyond the low-Earth orbit (LEO) as the company has exclusively been involved in space tourism. Blue Origin currently offers rides to the Karman line, the internationally recognised boundary of Space, 100 kilometres above the Earth’s surface. However, it also placed a bid for NASA's multi-billion dollar contract to develop a Human Landing System (HLS) for future Moon missions, which was won by Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Blue Origin says that the recent ‘system risk reduction’ tests focussed on dust mitigation techniques at different locations on the Moon with special consideration to materials and human factors. 

Preparations for the next Moon landing

NASA, in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), is preparing for the next Moon mission under the Artemis Program which takes off on August 29. It is under this program that the agencies are planning to set up sustainable lunar bases on the Moon to prepare for missions to Mars and beyond. To support the development of these bases, NASA has also planned a space station named 'Lunar Gateway' around the Moon which would provide a platform for in-orbit research and a means of accommodation for astronauts. 

As part of the preparations, ESA is also collaborating with a team of companies led by Thales Alenia Space to develop equipment that could produce oxygen from lunar dust. This project is currently at its initial stages and will proceed once the prototypes submitted by the companies prove viable. 

Image: Twitter/@Blue Origin