{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":8284,"title":"Dust Mitigation for the Lunar Surface","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10731,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10726,"level":3,"code":"TX07.2.5","title":"Particulate Contamination Prevention and Mitigation","definition":"Particulate contamination prevention and mitigation provides a layered engineering defense that incorporates technologies for contamination prevention, exterior cleaning and protection, interior cleaning and protection, and gas quality preservation, as well as technologies associated with modeling plume and soil interactions.","exampleTechnologies":"\"Tunnels\" to minimize regolith transfer during extravehicular activities (EVAs); air and airlock cleaning; sample handling; dust covers; dissipation, reduction, and/or elimination of triboelectric charge build-up; passive cleaning; dust repellant, dust shedding materials and coatings; electrodynamic removal; electron discharge and bombardment; magnetic brushes; dust removal brushes; self-cleaning connectors; forced gas showers; forced gas cleaning of hard surfaces; Failure Isolation, Detection, and Recovery (FIDR); plume mitigation; deployable landing surfaces; deployable/erectable blast curtain around landing site; plume-resistant concrete; high fidelity, two-phase flow modeling for plume-soil interaction","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":6,"currentTrl":0,"endTrl":0,"benefits":"Initial commercialization of the dust mitigation resin system will center on terrestrial dust mitigation and leaching prevention for industrial waste sites like mine tailings. Other applications include asbestos remediation, quick-erect shelters for military and disaster relief applications, as well as self-sealing tank inserts.
The primary application for the new coating is dust mitigation for future lunar missions, especially near the landing pad for a permanent installation. It can be combined with ATI's penetrating two-part formulations for roads and landing pads in a single applicator, potentially as an add-on to the planned lunar earth mover. The resin development also supports application of UV-cure resins in Rigidization on CommandTM systems for inflatable structures like shelters and antennas as well as structural repair tapes.","description":"The lunar surface is, to a large extent, covered with a dust layer several meters thick. Known as lunar regolith, it has been produced by meteorite impacts since the formation of a solid lunar surface billions of years ago. The regolith, while promising as a future building material for lunar installations, also poses a hazard in the form of dust clouds being generated by all forms of gas expansions in the high vacuum environment of the lunar surface. This is especially pronounced during spacecraft operations; a single lunar landing and take-off emits the same amount of gas as the whole lunar atmosphere contains. Instruments placed on the moon by the Apollo mission showed marked degradation due to damage from dust released during the lander's takeoff. Since there is no air movement to remove the dust after it is deposited, it is essential that dust is not displaced during everyday operations of a permanent lunar installation. Adherent Technologies, Inc. (ATI) has over the last decade developed a number of specialty UV-curing resins for NASA applications in space. In the Phase I program, ATI developed a resin and dispenser system to coat large areas of lunar surface around landing pads and atmosphere locks with a thin, dust-stabilizing coating. The coating is UV stable and elastic enough to weather the temperature extremes of a lunar day and night cycle. Special emphasis was given to a low outgassing, solvent-free system that does not contaminate the lunar atmosphere. In the Phase II program, ATI will optimize the resin formulations from the Phase I for thin film coatings. By comparing those to two-part resin systems, a balance between required properties and needed launch weight can be struck for different mission profiles. The engineering development will concentrate on a lightweight, reliable spray system to be added onto existing NASA moon vehicles.","startYear":2010,"startMonth":1,"endYear":2012,"endMonth":3,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":3164037,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jan","lastName":"Gosau","fullName":"Jan Gosau","fullNameInverted":"Gosau, Jan","primaryEmail":"jgosau-ATI@comcast.net","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":507104,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jan","lastName":"Gosau","fullName":"Jan M Gosau","fullNameInverted":"Gosau, Jan M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"jgosau-ati@comcast.net","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":206378,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jason","lastName":"Kessler","fullName":"Jason L Kessler","fullNameInverted":"Kessler, Jason L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jason.l.kessler@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":215154,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jennifer","lastName":"Gustetic","fullName":"Jennifer L Gustetic","fullNameInverted":"Gustetic, Jennifer L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jennifer.l.gustetic@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":62051,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Carlos","lastName":"Torrez","fullName":"Carlos Torrez","fullNameInverted":"Torrez, Carlos","primaryEmail":"carlos.torrez@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":461333,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Theresa","lastName":"Stanley","fullName":"Theresa M Stanley","fullNameInverted":"Stanley, Theresa M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"theresa.m.stanley@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":3163998,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Paul","lastName":"Hintze","fullName":"Paul Hintze","fullNameInverted":"Hintze, Paul","primaryEmail":"Paul.E.Hintze@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[],"transitions":[{"transitionId":66120,"projectId":8284,"transitionDate":"2012-03-01","path":"Closed Out","closeoutDocuments":[{"title":"Final Summary Chart","file":{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":306142,"fileName":"SBIR_2008_2_FSC_X5.02-9458","fileSize":203764,"objectId":66120,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":1841,"code":"TRANSITION_FILES","description":"Transition Files","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"fileSizeString":"199.0 KB"},"transitionId":66120,"fileId":306142}],"infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"","dateText":"March 2012"}],"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","active":true,"description":"
The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer"},"leadOrganization":{"canUserEdit":false,"city":"Albuquerque","congressionalDistrict":"New Mexico 01","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":true,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4504,"organizationName":"Adherent Technologies, Inc.","organizationType":"Industry","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"NM","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"New Mexico","stateTerritoryId":52},"stateTerritoryId":52,"ein":"431999584 ","uei":"UK5JJVDKVYE4","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"Industry"},"supportingOrganizations":[{"acronym":"KSC","canUserEdit":false,"city":"Kennedy Space Center","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4905,"organizationName":"Kennedy Space Center","organizationType":"NASA_Center","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"FL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Florida","stateTerritoryId":46},"stateTerritoryId":46,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"}],"statesWithWork":[{"abbreviation":"FL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Florida","stateTerritoryId":46},{"abbreviation":"NM","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"New Mexico","stateTerritoryId":52}],"lastUpdated":"2024-1-10","releaseStatusString":"Released","viewCount":132,"endDateString":"Mar 2012","startDateString":"Jan 2010"}}