Test Method for In Situ Electrostatic Characterization of Lunar Dust

The unmanageable effects of the dust on the surface of the moon made lunar traverses for the Apollo astronauts nearly impossible after three days exposure. These effects, governed by electrostatic properties, are responsible for their behavior and, to this date, are largely unclassified. Although many of the electrostatic characteristics of lunar soil have been measured, there are other electrostatic properties yet to be determined, such as chargeability (or charge-to-mass ratio), charge decay characteristics, and triboelectric properties. The purpose of this paper is to present a future in situ instrument capable of simultaneously measuring four important electrostatic properties: dielectric permittivity, volume resistivity, charge decay, and the chargeability of triboelectrically charged soil. This paper serves to illustrate the testing methods necessary to classify the electrostatic properties of lunar dust using in situ instrumentation and the required techniques therein. A review of electrostatic classification of lunar simulant materials is provided as is its relevance to the success of future human lunar missions.