Electrostatic and Magnetic Cleaning Systems for Removing Lunar Dust Adhering to Spacesuits

Cleaning of lunar dust adhering to spacesuits is critical for long-term lunar exploration. Three different cleaning systems are being developed to address this issue. The first system employs an alternating electrostatic field; AC voltage is applied to parallel wires stitched into the insulating fabric to create an electrostatic field barrier on the fabric surface. It was demonstrated that more than 80% of the adhered dust particles are repelled from the fabric. The second system employs a combination of electrostatic separation and transport; a high voltage is applied between an Al coated Mylar sheet positioned under the surface fabric and the screen electrode of a cleaning device. The dust adhering to the fabric is captured by the screen electrode, and the captured dust is transported by a traveling wave to a collecting bag. The observed cleaning rate was higher than 80%. The third system employs electrostatic and magnetic forces, based on the fact that lunar dust is magnetic. The cleaning rate achieved was approximately 80%.