Mitigating Lunar Dust: Masten Completes Fast Landing Pad Study

#102 · ✸ 99 · 💬 36 · 2 years ago · masten.aero · radley · 📷
A large-scale Artemis human landing system would require alumina particles of approximately 0.5 millimeters diameter to pass through the engine without melting. The particles would impact the lunar surface at approximately 1,500 meters per second to create an initial base layer on the lunar surface that's approximately 1 millimeter thick. These particles would impact the surface at approximately 650 meters per second and create additional layers that build up and strengthen the landing pad. The full deployment would take 10 seconds to release 186 kilograms of alumina at up to 30 meters above the lunar surface, creating a 6-meter diameter landing pad. The pad would then require 2.5 seconds to cool before the vehicle touches down for a safe landing. In the next phase, our goal is to further mature the landing pad technology by testing it in a lunar environment. By mitigating plume effects on the Moon, Mars, and beyond, FAST Landing Pads can keep astronauts, infrastructure, and spacecraft safer while increasing the number of potential landing locations. This technology is also the key to significantly lower total program costs that would be required to build landing pad infrastructure. In short, FAST Landing Pads can greatly expand accessibility and affordability to planetary bodies, unlocking new scientific discoveries and commercial applications.
Mitigating Lunar Dust: Masten Completes Fast Landing Pad Study



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