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NASA plans to use lasers to measure the impact of exhaust gases on the lunar surface during landing, in order to plan lunar landings more effectively

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2023-10-31 11:08:22
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Recently, NASA's official website showed that a research team at the University of Central Florida has tested an instrument called Ejecta STORM, which aims to measure the size and velocity of surface particles generated by exhaust gases from rocket powered landers on the moon or Mars.

According to NASA, when a spacecraft lands on the moon or Mars, rocket exhaust plumes can produce efflorescent ejecta (abrasive dust and rapidly moving large particles) that may damage the lander and surrounding structures. Understanding how the exhaust of rocket engines affects the ejectors will help task designers model soil erosion rate, particle size distribution, and velocity related to plume surface interactions, thereby more effectively planning lunar landings.

To meet this demand, researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a laser instrument called Ejecta STORM (Sheet Tracking, Opacity, and Regolith Material). The four tethered flights allowed researchers to test the integration of the system with the lander and simulate the operation under flight conditions of the lunar lander plume effect. These tests are based on data collected during flight activities conducted using Xiaodac in 2020.

Researchers hope that this technology can provide information for model development and reduce the risk of future lunar landings, ultimately improving the design of planetary science missions based on rovers, manned lunar and other celestial missions, and on-site resource utilization missions.

Source: Sohu

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