NASA
Since the lunar surface has limited sunlight and extremely cold temperatures, landing on the Moon is a difficult task to say the least. Fortunately, there’s lots of dust (lunar regolith), and Masten’s FAST spacecraft has just the technology to make use of it. Simply put, the spacecraft will inject ceramic particles into the rocket’s plumes, thus coating the regolith as the lander descends toward the surface. This forces the particles to collide with the surface, resulting in a solid landing pad. Read more for additional pictures and information.


NASA

However, this also means that the exact landing pad thickness and material properties depend on the size as well as temperature of the engine plume, which can be optimized to meet a diverse set of missions. Once the base layer is deposited, alumina particles measuring approximately 0.024 millimeters in diameter would be required to heat up and liquify as they pass through the engine before impacting the surface at 650 meters per second to create additional layers that build up and strengthen the landing pad.

LEGO Icons NASA Space Shuttle Discovery 10283 Model Building Set - Spaceship Collection with Hubble...
2,040 Reviews
LEGO Icons NASA Space Shuttle Discovery 10283 Model Building Set - Spaceship Collection with Hubble...
  • LEGO NASA Space Set - This adult LEGO set features the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope from NASA’s 1990 STS-31 mission,...
  • Solar System Exploration - Unlock the mysteries of our solar system with this engaging 2,354-piece project, packed with authentic details and...
  • Shuttle Features Galore - The space shuttle model has an opening payload bay, retractable landing gear, opening cockpit, moving elevons, space arm,...

NASA

The full deployment would take 10 seconds to release 186 kilograms of alumina at up to 30 meters above the lunar surface, creating a 6-meter diameter landing pad. The pad would then require 2.5 seconds to cool before the vehicle touches down for a safe landing. Looking even further ahead, the FAST concept can be applied to other planetary bodies like Mars where loose regolith also poses risks to human and robotic missions,” said the team.

Bonus Video

Author

A technology, gadget and video game enthusiast that loves covering the latest industry news. Favorite trade show? Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.