Electrostatic Cleaning System for Removing Lunar Dust Adhering to Space Suits

Removing lunar dust adhering to astronaut space suits is critically important for long-term lunar exploration. We are developing an automatic cleaning system that uses electrostatic force. It employs an alternating electrostatic field that forms a barrier on the surface of fabrics. In this study, we applied single-phase rectangular voltage to parallel wire electrodes stitched into the insulating fabric of space suits. By applying mechanical vibration and operating the system in a vacuum, we realized high performance: the cleaning rate exceeded 80%. Flicking out particles smaller than 10 mu m in diameter that were trapped between fibers was difficult, but this system can perform preliminary space suit cleaning and save precious time for astronauts on the moon. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000084. (C) 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.