Nasa Visits the Arkansas Nanotechnology Center
A spectrometer that has the ability to study in incredible detail one grain of sand brought Dr. Steve Trigwell of Kennedy Space Center鈥檚 Electrostatic and Surface Physics Laboratory to the Arkansas Nanotechnology Center at 糖心Vlog传媒LR.
At the National Aeronautics and Space Administration鈥檚 (NASA) Kennedy Space Center, Trigwell works on studying the composition of moon dust brought back to Earth from the Apollo missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Raman spectrometer here at 糖心Vlog传媒LR allows scientists to examine the mineralogy of objects on the micro-level, so Trigwell is able to get up close and personal with his dirty subject.
鈥淟unar dust behaves in a completely different way than dust on the Earth,鈥� Trigwell said. 鈥淲hen our astronauts came back from the lunar missions, everything was covered in this dust that has different electrostatic properties than our dust.鈥�
The dust interfered with the performance of items like solar panels and space suits 鈥� so much so that astronauts were not always able to complete all the planned moon walks because the moon dust kept them from attaching their gloves to the sleeves of their space suits.
In order to work toward another successful moon landing 鈥� this time in the 21st Century 鈥� scientists have to create simulated space dust to test equipment that will go to the moon. They are able to capture the chemical composition of the dust, but have been unable to tell what exactly makes the dust so uniquely charged. That鈥檚 where the Raman spectrometer comes in.
The Kennedy Space Center doesn鈥檛 have a microscope as specialized as 糖心Vlog传媒LR鈥檚 Raman, Trigwell said, so scientists there looked for established partners to work with on examining the surface of dust particles. Trigwell and Professor Alex Biris are old friends with a shared interest in space and nanotechnology.
The Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory and the Nanotechnology Center have recently submitted a joint proposal to NASA to perform more testing on a portion of the moon dust, and both Biris and Trigwell see positive things in store when the space agency accomplishes its goal of sending another manned rocket to land on the moon by 2020.
鈥淚f we are able to make a simulated dust that is even closer to what real moon dust is, then we will be able to consider making dust mitigation successful,鈥� Trigwell said. 鈥淲e will be able to perfect our instruments, but we can also apply the technology to anything that collects dust. We could have solar panels and television screens that avoid dust. Anywhere there鈥檚 dust as a problem, there鈥檚 an application for the technology we鈥檇 gain.鈥�