Chemical Reactivity of Lunar Dust Relevant to Humans

The Chemical Reactivity of Lunar Dust Relevant to Human Exploration of the Moon

Enhanced Chemical Reactivity of Crystalline Quartz by Mechanical Grinding

Introduction: The chemical reactivity of lunar re-golith is one of the most important issues which impacts the human health and biological effects of lunar regolith. The constant micrometeorite bombardment of the lunar surface results in both comminution and shock melting of lunar regolith. In addition, radiation effects are likely to enhance the chemical reactivity of lunar regolith. With resp...

Ocular toxicity of authentic lunar dust

BACKGROUND Dust exposure is a well-known occupational hazard for terrestrial workers and astronauts alike and will continue to be a concern as humankind pursues exploration and habitation of objects beyond Earth. Humankind's limited exploration experience with the Apollo Program indicates that exposure to dust will be unavoidable. Therefore, NASA must assess potential toxicity and recommend app...

Magnetic Properties of Unique Apollo 17 Soil 70051

Introduction: Lunar dust, the <20 μm portion of the Moon’s regolith, posed several unanticipated problems during the Apollo Missions. With our plans for returning humans to the Moon, it is paramount to address these issues. For example, an embarrassing problem involved the fact that none of the ‘Milliondollars rock boxes’ built at Oak Ridge National Lab remained sealed at the vacuum of the Moon...

Micro-morphology and Toxicological Effects of Lunar Dust

Introduction: The Moon is being considered as an effective test-bed and fueling station for future space missions to Mars and beyond, with In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) of lunar materials [1]. From the Apollo missions, however, it is well known that dust on the Moon can cause serious problems for human’s exploration activities [2]. One of the paramount problems is the potential for a toxi...