Artemis Crewed Surface Operations Training Dust Mitigation Test/Training Facility (DMTF)

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Artemis Crewed Surface Operations Training Dust Mitigation Test/Training Facility (DMTF)

Anastasia Ford / Kavya Manyapu

Based on several Apollo mission(s) reports and lessons learned1 on lunar dust impacts, it is imperative for successful Artemis missions, to develop dust mitigation methods & train crew in dust cleaning techniques for efficient use of lunar surface time and for crew health. Longer durations and increased number of Extra Vehicular Activities (EVAs) for Artemis need better training. Apollo missions lacked training in a dust facility. Current facilities do not provide adequate fidelity to train crew in dust cleaning operations in suited, pressurized environments. Mimicking dust cleaning actions in existing facilities (eg- Neutral Buoyancy lab) does not provide in depth understanding of actions and time needed to clean suit or positions crew need to take to remove dust from suit. Available dust bins do not support suited/pressurized ops, personnel not trained in suited ops, more overhead/travel. A local facility at Johnson Space Center (JSC) w/ adequate fidelity supporting suited/pressurized ops, personnel in suited ops is a crucial need for rapid development/testing and training. This facility will provide NASA capabilities to: 1. Provide a dust containment bin to perform suited pressurized crewed training/testing activities for dust interaction/mitigation leveraging existing JSC facility infrastructure and 2. Perform end-to-end simulated lunar dust testing of fluid, mechanical, and electrical systems to provide “test like you fly” confidence for industry developed solutions.