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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
While astronaut Gene Cernan was on the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission, his spacesuit collected loads of lunar dust. The gray, powdery substance stuck to the fabric and entered the capsule causing eye, nose, and throat irritation dubbed “lunar hay fever.” Credit: NASACredit: NASA Moon dust, or regolith, isn’t like the particles on Earth that collect on bookshelves or tabletops – it’s abrasive and it clings to everything. Throughout NASA’s Apollo missions to the Moon, regolith posed a challenge to astronauts and valuable space hardware.
During the Apollo 17 mission, astronaut Harrison Schmitt described his reaction to breathing in the dust as “lunar hay fever,” experiencing sneezing, watery eyes, and a sore throat. The symptoms went away, but concern for human health is a driving force behind NASA’s extensive research into all forms of lunar soil.
The need to manage the dust to protect astronaut health and critical technology is already beneficial on Earth in the fight against air pollution.
Working as a contributor on a habitat for NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program, Lunar Outpost Inc. developed an air-quality sensor system to detect and measure the amount of lunar soil in the air that also detects pollutants on Earth.
Originally based in Denver, the Golden, Colorado-based company developed an air-quality sensor called the Space Canary and offered the sensor to Lockheed Martin Space for its NextSTEP lunar orbit habitat prototype. After the device was integrated into the habitat’s environmental control system, it provided distinct advantages over traditional equipment.
Rebranded as Canary-S (Solar), the sensor is now meeting a need for low-cost, wireless air-quality and meteorological monitoring on Earth. The self-contained unit, powered by solar energy and a battery, transmits data using cellular technology. It can measure a variety of pollutants, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds, among others. The device sends a message up to a secure cloud every minute, where it’s routed to either Lunar Outpost’s web-based dashboard or a customer’s database for viewing and analysis.
The oil and gas industry uses the Canary-S sensors to provide continuous, real-time monitoring of fugitive gas emissions, and the U.S. Forest Service uses them to monitor forest-fire emissions.
“Firefighters have been exhibiting symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning for decades. They thought it was just part of the job,” explained Julian Cyrus, chief operating officer of Lunar Outpost. “But the sensors revealed where and when carbon monoxide levels were sky high, making it possible to issue warnings for firefighters to take precautions.”
The Canary-S sensors exemplify the life-saving technologies that can come from the collaboration of NASA and industry innovations.
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Last Updated Sep 17, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
The WirelessArray developed by Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2), laid out here for a test flight at Langley Research Center, makes flight testing for drones quick and cost-effective.Credit: NASA Anyone who lives near an airport or is experiencing the emergence of a cicada brood can quickly identify the source of that ongoing noise. However, running tests to identify the noise created by a new drone or find pests in a field of crops requires a high-tech solution that maps sound.
With help from NASA, Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2) introduced a new Wireless Array to do just that – anywhere, anytime. Airplanes undergo noise testing and require certification, so they don’t exceed the Federal Aviation Administration’s noise limits. Each small, saucer-shaped base, called a node, is equipped with an embedded microphone that measures the air pressure changes created by overhead sounds. For a large vehicle like an airplane, hundreds of these sensors, or microphone array, are laid out in a pattern on a runway to monitor the underside of the plane as it flies over.
Interested in making its flight tests more affordable, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, supported the company with Small Business Innovation Research contracts and expert consulting.
“Each node contains a small computer system able to acquire and store data in memory on an SD card. It also has a small web server that allows the end user to start acquisition, stop recording, download files, check on the battery health, and more,” said Chip Patterson, vice president of IC2.
All it takes to operate an individual node or an extensive array is an off-the-shelf wireless access point and a standard laptop with IC2’s software application. The technology integrates into existing noise testing systems.
The microphone can easily be swapped for various other sensor types, like an acoustic sensor, making it possible to monitor animal noises that indicate health and well-being. An infrasonic sensor could measure the noise from supersonic aircraft, identifying the direction and arrival of a sonic boom.
This small, portable technology is finding its way into various projects and applications beyond aircraft testing. Working with an entomologist, IC2 will use acoustic data to listen for high-frequency insect sounds in agricultural settings. Discovering where insects feed on crops will allow farmers to intervene before they do too much damage while limiting pesticide use in those areas. With NASA’s help, IC2’s Wireless Array technology enables sound-based solutions in agriculture, aerospace, and beyond.
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Last Updated May 29, 2024 Related Terms
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By European Space Agency
Space is becoming ever more important to life on Earth – from managing climate change to responding to emergencies to digitalising the economy. To help policymakers and businesses take informed decisions about investing in space, ESA has today published plans to create robust and reliable data on the space economy, in collaboration with international partners.
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By European Space Agency
With all eyes about to focus on the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, new scientific findings show, again, that the climate crisis is taking its toll on Antarctica – a continent, up to recently, thought better able to withstand the immediate effects of rising global temperatures.
Using satellite data, scientists have discovered that the ice shelf extending into the ocean from Cadman Glacier on the west Antarctic Peninsula collapsed, leaving the glacier exposed to unusually warm ocean water, which caused the glacier to accelerate and retreat rapidly.
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By European Space Agency
With many people around the world suffering from various forms of malnutrition it’s important that the absolute basics such as rice, soya and wheat are as nourishing as possible. ESA-funded research shows that the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission and the Italian Prisma mission could be used to monitor the nutritional content of staple crops. This could, for example, help farmers take appropriate steps to boost the quality of their crops as they grow.
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