← Back to NASA Technology Projects

Regenerable Lunar Airborne Dust Filter, Phase I

Completed

Description

Effective methods are needed to control pervasive Lunar Dust within spacecraft and surface habitations. Once inside, airborne transmission is the primary mode of dispersion. Inhalation of this fine powder may pose a serious health risk. Lunar dust may cause degradation of materials, interfere with proper operation of instrumentation & controls, and may prevent formation of adequate seals. To solve this problem, we propose the development of a fully regenerable hypogravity compatible filtration system for removal of Lunar Dust from air, suitable for deployment within the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) and Lunar Outpost (LO). Using microgravity and hypogravity compatible Gradient Magnetically Assisted Filtration/Fluidization Bed (GMAFB) technology, we will develop a fully regenerable Airborne Lunar Dust Filtration System. The system will minimize Equivalent System Mass (ESM) by the elimination of expendables.

Details

Technology areaExploration Destination Systems > Mission Infrastructure, Sustainability, and Supportability > Particulate Contamination Prevention and Mitigation
ProgramSmall Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR)
Lead organizationAmes Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Start date2009-01-22
End date2009-07-22

How to get involved

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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.