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By NASA
NASA’s Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) successfully demonstrated its ability to remove regolith, or lunar dust and dirt, from its various surfaces on the Moon during Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, which concluded on March 16. Lunar dust is extremely abrasive and electrostatic, which means it clings to anything that carries a charge. It can damage everything from spacesuits and hardware to human lungs, making lunar dust one of the most challenging features of living and working on the lunar surface. The EDS technology uses electrodynamic forces to lift and remove the lunar dust from its surfaces. The first image showcases the glass and thermal radiator surfaces, coated in a layer of regolith. As you slide to the left, the photo reveals the results after EDS activation. Dust was removed from both surfaces, proving the technology’s effectiveness in mitigating dust accumulation.
This milestone marks a significant step toward sustaining long-term lunar and interplanetary operations by reducing dust-related hazards to a variety of surfaces for space applications ranging from thermal radiators, solar panels, and camera lenses to spacesuits, boots, and helmet visors. The EDS technology is paving the way for future dust mitigation solutions, supporting NASA’s Artemis campaign and beyond. NASA’s Electrodynamic Dust Shield was developed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with funding from NASA’s Game Changing Development Program, managed by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
Image Credit: NASA
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By NASA
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) imaged Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 on the Moon’s surface on March 7, just under 24 hours after the spacecraft landed.
Later that day Intuitive Machines called an early end of mission for IM-2, which carried NASA technology demonstrations as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign.
The Intuitive Machines IM-2 Athena lander, indicated here with a white arrow, reached the surface of the Moon on March 6, 2025, near the center of Mons Mouton. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) imaged the site at 12:54 p.m. EST on March 7.NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University The IM-2 mission lander is located closer to the Moon’s South Pole than any previous lunar lander.
LRO is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Launched on June 18, 2009, LRO has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the Moon. NASA is returning to the Moon with commercial and international partners to expand human presence in space and bring back new knowledge and opportunities.
More on this story from Arizona State University’s LRO Camera website
Media Contact:
Nancy N. Jones
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Last Updated Mar 25, 2025 Related Terms
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) View the full article
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By NASA
NASA’s Acting Associate Administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Lori Glaze, right, and NASA Langley Acting Center Director Trina Dyal spoke at a dedication ceremony for NASA Langley’s Artemis Moon Tree at the center March 12.NASA/Ryan Hill A tree that sprouted from a seed that journeyed around the Moon and back is growing at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
NASA’s Acting Associate Administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Lori Glaze and NASA Langley Acting Center Director Trina Dyal spoke at a dedication ceremony for the Artemis Moon Tree, a loblolly pine, at the center March 12.
“I wanted to quote an old Greek proverb that more or less says something like, ‘Society grows when its elders plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,’ ” said Glaze. “I love that. We always talk about how we stand on the shoulders of giants. Those giants planted seeds, and we are still benefiting from the tremendous roots of those trees,”
The young tree, only about two feet tall right now, is growing in an area between NASA Langley’s Integrated Engineering Services Building and its Measurement Systems Laboratory. The pine is surrounded by a wire plant protector. A yellow label identifies the species and the location of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services nursery where the seedling was grown — Charles E. Bessey Nursery in Halsey, Nebraska. A small plaque marks its status as a Moon Tree.
“This, we plant here for all future generations to be inspired and to continue on the amazing legacy of what we’re doing,” said Glaze. “Our return to the lunar surface and our journey to Mars through the Artemis campaign is really going to lay the foundation for that future of exploration that right now we’re only dreaming about. With your help, through Langley and the rest of our NASA colleagues and partners, we’re going to achieve those visions.”
NASA Langley’s Artemis Moon Tree is a loblolly pine.NASA/Ryan Hill The loblolly seed was one of many that flew on the Artemis I mission Nov. 16 to Dec. 11, 2022 — journeying 270,000 miles from Earth aboard the Orion spacecraft. NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement partnered with the Forest Services to fly the seeds aboard Artemis I as part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative.
In addition to loblolly pines, tree species on the flight included sycamores, sweetgums, Douglas firs, and giant sequoias. The Forest Services germinated the seeds.
Locally, NASA Langley’s loblolly pine is one of three Artemis Moon Trees. The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News and the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk were also selected as Moon Tree stewards, and also received loblolly pines.
The Artemis Moon Trees take inspiration from their Apollo precursors. In 1971, NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa, the command module pilot for the Apollo 14 mission and a former U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services smoke jumper, carried tree seeds into lunar orbit. The Apollo 14 Moon Trees were disseminated to national monuments and dignitaries around the world, with a large number distributed as part of the nation’s bicentennial event.
One of those Moon Trees, a sycamore, was planted at Albert W. Patrick III Elementary School in the Fox Hill area of Hampton in 1976. Sixth grader Marjorie White wrote a poem called “A Tree Lives” that won a contest to earn the honor.
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By NASA
LOCATION: Texas State Capitol – Austin, Texas SUBJECT: Space Day activities at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas PHOTOGRAPHER: Lauren HarnettNASA March 17, 2025
NASA is heading back to the state capitol in March for Space Day Texas, a recognition of achievements throughout Texas and a look ahead to the impact future human space exploration has on the Lone Star state.
The two-day schedule of events and exhibits focusing on exploration, astronauts, and science, technology, engineering, and math education will include astronaut visits, interactive exhibits, and legislative proclamations.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will share its accomplishments on the Capitol grounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT Tuesday, March 25, joining academic and commercial partners from across the state to share Texas’ blueprint for expanding humanity’s frontier in space.
On Monday, March 24, exhibits will feature the Texas High School Aerospace Scholars program at the University of Texas Elementary Charter school, along with NASA Johnson’s Office of STEM Engagement, Orion program, and Lockheed Martin. Interactive events will feature NASA STEM engagement programs and hands-on exhibits.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 25, proclamations celebrating NASA’s 25th anniversary of continuous human presence on the International Space Station, the High School Aerospace Scholars program, and the continued progression of the Artemis campaign through NASA’s commercialization of cargo, crew, landers, spacesuits, and rovers will be read in the Texas House and Senate chambers, respectively. Following the proclamations, an Artemis II crew astronaut will participate in a live question and answer session on the front steps of the Capitol.
NASA’s impact in Texas is strong. NASA Johnson has served as the iconic site for some of the greatest moments in American history, from landing humans on the Moon to assembling the International Space Station.
For more than 60 years, NASA has led the world in human space exploration. Today, it is testing technologies on the Space Station that will help humanity push forward to the Moon and Mars. NASA’s workforce in Texas includes more than 10,000 aerospace employees and more than $2 billion in contracts and federal salaries in 2024.
Learn more about NASA Johnson and its impact in Texas at:
https://www.nasa.gov/johnson
-end-
Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov
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