NASA Science Payload to Study Lunar Dust

A science instrument flying aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative is planning to study how different materials react to the lunar environment. Regolith Adherence Characterization, or RAC, is one of 10 payloads set to be carried to the Moon by the Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander in 2025. Developed by Aegis Aerospace, RAC’s wheels feature a series of different sample materials, helping researchers to better understand how lunar dust repels or attaches to each. Investigations and demonstrations, such as RAC, launched on CLPS flights will help NASA study Earth’s nearest neighbor under Artemis and pave the way for future crewed missions on the Moon. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development for seven of the 10 CLPS payloads that will be carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander.

What is said in the film

Rack's purpose to go to the moon is to understand the environment better. Audience astronauts are going to be living there long term, and so will other humans. And it's important to get the right materials that lasts and are safe in the long run. Hi, I'm Denis Harris, the lunar payload manager for the Regulus Adherence Characterization Project. I'm based here in Huntsville at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Rick is an instrument designed to see how different materials react to dust on the surface of the moon. It's got two wheels, 15 samples in each wheel. The samples are made up of various materials. Some are spacecraft material, some are aluminum. Some may be glass, some may be spacesuit material.

And what they're going to try to determine is how dust next to it. The science out of whack is to get a long term view of what dust really does, and what materials are best for surface operations, both for the Artemis astronauts and for any spacecraft that might want to land there in the future, because dust can be an issue. I think the purpose of Rack is to look at the long term effects of dust on different materials, which will drive how the Artemis astronauts interact and live on the surface for years to come. The rock samples are a good collaboration between NASA and the public. Some of the samples are from NASA centers, and some of the samples are from private industry.

Commercial Lunar Payload services. NASA and American companies working together.

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