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Scientist develop method to remove moon dust using a doll named Rosie

To prove the spray, a 1/6-scale astronaut - the Rosie doll - was treated with the spray.

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Rosie was the guinea pig for the study. (WSU via SWNS)

By Dean Murray via SWNS

Researchers have proved a method for removing space dust - by using a doll named Rosie.

Washington State University (WSU) say they've developed a liquid nitrogen spray that can remove almost all simulated moon dust from a space suit.

They believe this could potentially solve what is a significant challenge for future moon-landing astronauts.

The sprayer removed more than 98% of moon dust simulant in a vacuum environment with minimal damage to spacesuits, performing better than any techniques that have been investigated previously, according to a report on their work in the journal Acta Astronautica.

A 1/6-scale astronaut - Rosie the doll - was covered in simulated space dust and treated with a liquid nitrogen spray. (WSU via SWNS)

In their work, the research team demonstrated technology that uses the Leidenfrost Effect to clean the space suits.

The effect can be seen when one pours cold water on a hot frying pan, where it beads up and moves across the pan.

"Spray the very cold liquid nitrogen at a warmer dust-covered material, and the dust particles bead up and float away on the nitrogen vapor," explain WSU.

To prove the spray, a 1/6-scale astronaut - the Rosie doll - was treated with the spray.

Rosie, the doll used in the experiment. (WSU via SWNS)

The team successfully tested their cleaning method under normal atmospheric conditions and in a vacuum that is more similar to outer space, with the sprayer performing better in the vacuum atmosphere.

The liquid nitrogen spray was also much gentler on spacesuit materials than other cleaning methods.

While a brush caused damage to the spacesuit material after just one brushing, the liquid nitrogen spray took 75 cycles before damage occurred.

A WSU statement explains: "While people have managed to put men on the moon, they haven’t figured out how to keep them clean there.

"Similar to the clingiest packaging peanuts, moon dust sticks to everything that it touches.

"Worse than the packing peanuts, the dust is composed of very fine particles that are the consistency of ground fiberglass."

Ian Wells, first author of the paper and a senior in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, says: "Moon dust is electrostatically charged, abrasive and gets everywhere, making it a very difficult substance to deal with.

"You end up with a fine layer of dust as a minimum just covering everything."

The WSU statement continues: "During the six crewed Apollo missions to the moon in the 1960s and early 1970s, astronauts used a brush to try to remove the dust from their spacesuits, but it didn’t work very well.

Cryoclastic flow caused by liquid nitrogen poured on lunar dust simulant. (WSU via SWNS)

"The abrasive and tiny dust particles can get into engines and electronics. They also got into the spacesuits, destroying their seals and making some of the expensive suits unusable.

"Astronauts also suffered from “lunar hay fever,” and researchers think that a longer exposure to the dust could cause lung damage similar to that of Black Lung Disease."

Ian Wells adds: “It posed a lot of problems that affected the missions as well as the astronauts once they returned home."

Rosie the doll. (WSU via SWNS)

A solution to the moon dust problem would benefit the NASA Artemis mission, which aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon in 2025.

There are plans to eventually set up a lunar base camp for further planetary exploration.

The researchers are now working to fully understand and model the complex interactions between the dust particles and liquid nitrogen that allows the cleaning process to work.

They are also applying for another grant to further test the technology in conditions that more closely approximate outer space, such as in lunar gravity.

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