3 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/rac-pre-integration-image-1.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nRegolith Adherence Characterization, or RAC, is one of 10 science and technology instruments flying on NASA\u2019s next Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) flight as part of the Blue Ghost Misison-1. Developed by Aegis Aerospace of Webster, Texas, RAC is designed to study how lunar dust reacts to more than a dozen different types of material samples, located on the payload\u2019s wheels. <\/div>\nPhoto courtesy Firefly Aerospace<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Moon may look like barren rock, but it\u2019s actually covered in a layer of gravel, pebbles, and dust collectively known as \u201clunar regolith.\u201d During the Apollo Moon missions<\/a>, astronauts learned firsthand that the fine, powdery dust \u2013 electromagnetically charged due to constant bombardment by solar and cosmic particles \u2013 is extremely abrasive and clings to everything: gloves, boots, vehicles, and mechanical equipment. What challenges does that dust pose to future Artemis<\/a>-era missions to establish long-term outposts on the lunar surface?<\/p>\nThat\u2019s the task of an innovative science instrument called RAC-1 (Regolith Adherence Characterization), one of 10 NASA payloads flying aboard the next delivery for the agency\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services<\/a>) initiative and set to be carried to the surface by Firefly Aerospace\u2019s Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander<\/a>.<\/p>\nDeveloped by Aegis Aerospace of Webster, Texas, RAC<\/a> will expose 15 sample materials \u2013 fabrics, paint coatings, optical systems, sensors, solar cells, and more \u2013 to the lunar environment to determine how tenaciously the lunar dust sticks to each one. The instrument will measure accumulation rates during landing and subsequent routine lander operations, aiding identification of those materials which best repel or shed dust. The data will help NASA and its industry partners more effectively test, upgrade, and protect spacecraft, spacesuits, habitats, and equipment in preparation for continued exploration of the Moon under the Artemis campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cLunar regolith is a sticky challenge for long-duration expeditions to the surface,\u201d said Dennis Harris, who manages the RAC payload for NASA\u2019s CLPS initiative at the agency\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cDust gets into gears, sticks to spacesuits, and can block optical properties. RAC will help determine the best materials and fabrics with which to build, delivering more robust, durable hardware, products, and equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/rac-pre-integration-image-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>The Moon may look like barren rock, but it\u2019s actually covered in a layer of gravel, pebbles, and dust collectively known as \u201clunar regolith.\u201d During the Apollo Moon missions<\/a>, astronauts learned firsthand that the fine, powdery dust \u2013 electromagnetically charged due to constant bombardment by solar and cosmic particles \u2013 is extremely abrasive and clings to everything: gloves, boots, vehicles, and mechanical equipment. What challenges does that dust pose to future Artemis<\/a>-era missions to establish long-term outposts on the lunar surface?<\/p>\n That\u2019s the task of an innovative science instrument called RAC-1 (Regolith Adherence Characterization), one of 10 NASA payloads flying aboard the next delivery for the agency\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services<\/a>) initiative and set to be carried to the surface by Firefly Aerospace\u2019s Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander<\/a>.<\/p>\n Developed by Aegis Aerospace of Webster, Texas, RAC<\/a> will expose 15 sample materials \u2013 fabrics, paint coatings, optical systems, sensors, solar cells, and more \u2013 to the lunar environment to determine how tenaciously the lunar dust sticks to each one. The instrument will measure accumulation rates during landing and subsequent routine lander operations, aiding identification of those materials which best repel or shed dust. The data will help NASA and its industry partners more effectively test, upgrade, and protect spacecraft, spacesuits, habitats, and equipment in preparation for continued exploration of the Moon under the Artemis campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cLunar regolith is a sticky challenge for long-duration expeditions to the surface,\u201d said Dennis Harris, who manages the RAC payload for NASA\u2019s CLPS initiative at the agency\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cDust gets into gears, sticks to spacesuits, and can block optical properties. RAC will help determine the best materials and fabrics with which to build, delivering more robust, durable hardware, products, and equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n