ARES Lunar Dust Project

**To do this project you must be able to have access to a laminar flow fume hood.

Executive Summary

The Lunar Dust Project is a freshman undergraduate-level challenge in the Artemis Generation Science Series that tasks students with investigating the hazards of lunar regolith through two integrated deliverables: a hands-on HEPA filtration lab and a college-level research paper. In the lab, students construct a PVC test chamber, aerosolize an approved lunar simulant under controlled conditions, and measure the particle capture efficiency of at least six filter types using either optical sensors or gravimetric membranes. In the research paper, students write a minimum 10-page, APA-formatted analysis covering the physical and chemical properties of lunar regolith and the mechanisms by which it damages at least four physiological body systems, paired with a remediation section linking each countermeasure to a specific cellular or biochemical target. The two deliverables are intentionally connected: students are expected to cite their own lab findings when discussing engineering controls in the paper.

Problem Statement

Lunar regolith is among the most hazardous materials that Artemis astronauts will routinely encounter on the lunar surface. Its particles are sharp, electrostatically charged, and approximately 50% silicon dioxide by composition — a profile similar to occupational silica exposures known to cause severe pulmonary disease on Earth. Lab studies with lunar simulants have demonstrated up to 90% cell death in human lung and mouse brain cell cultures, and Apollo astronauts reported respiratory symptoms after just hours of incidental exposure. NASA has not yet established a permissible exposure limit for lunar dust, and Artemis surface missions are planned to last 30 or more days — far exceeding any Apollo surface stay. No validated, cost-effective filtration solution for use in lunar habitat air systems has been systematically characterized at the student or early-researcher level. This project asks students to address both dimensions of the problem: empirically testing which filtration materials most effectively capture fine regolith particles, and building the scientific foundation to understand why exposure is harmful and how it might be mitigated across multiple body systems.

Students need to review all of the documentation.