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Electron Beam Dust Mitigation Technology
Active
TRL 4 (started at 4, targeting 6)
Description
Electron Beam Dust Mitigation (EBDM) uses an electron beam to charge and repel dust from a surface to be cleaned. EBDM achieves cleaning efficacy up to 92% on various surfaces like spacesuits, optical lenses, solar panels, and thermal blankets. EBDM provides a novel active dust mitigation solution to enable long-term sustained exploration on the surface of the Moon.
Problem Statement
• EBDM provides an active dust mitigation solution for human and robotic exploration on the lunar surface.
• Though the current technologies have advantages, they all have drawbacks/limitations, such as consumables, safety issues, and low efficacy.
• EBDM is easy and safe to use, cost-effective, and robust with various configurations for different needs.
Technology Maturation
• The flight test will simulate lunar gravity to test the EBDM’s cleaning performance on the lunar surface, increasing EBDM’s fidelity and technology readiness to TRL 6.
• The flight test is a tipping point for this technology to be infused into future NASA Artemis missions and commercial Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions.
Benefits
EBDM will benefit exploration to the surfaces of dust-rich airless bodies, including the Moon, asteroids, and Martian moons. Specifically, EBDM will largely benefit NASA’s Artemis missions, especially crewed missions, to the surface of the Moon and to the Lunar Gateway station in a cislunar orbit. Dust kicked up by human and robotic activities and by natural lofting on the lunar surface readily sticks on all surfaces of exploration systems, causing various issues, such as damage to spacesuits, degradation of solar panels and thermal radiators, and clogging mechanical joints and seals. Dust sticking on the surface of a rocket returning from the lunar surface poses a risk to the Lunar Gateway habitat to which the rocket docks. Dust is recognized as one of the biggest challenges for both surface and orbital operations at the Moon. EBDM provides feasible solutions to remove dust on the surfaces of these exploration systems and for crew health and safety to enable and ensure the success of NASA’s Artemis program.
EBDM will greatly benefit commercial missions, such as CLPS missions, to the surface of the Moon for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for sustained long-term lunar exploration. These commercial missions are expected to face tremendous dust issues that degrade the performance and longevity of mining equipment, power grids, and lunar infrastructure.
EBDM users include government space agencies and commercial lunar companies developing landers, habitats, rovers, and ISRU technologies.
Details
| Technology area | Exploration Destination Systems > Mission Infrastructure, Sustainability, and Supportability > Particulate Contamination Prevention and Mitigation |
| Program | Flight Opportunities (FO) |
| Lead organization | Space Dust Research & Technologies LLC, Superior, CO |
| Start date | 2025-06-01 |
| End date | 2027-06-30 |
Project contacts
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
How to get involved
This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.
None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.