To land safely on Mars and the moon, we may need to measure dust

image via Space.com

October 21, 2024, 7:00 PM

• •A new instrument could help spacecraft avoid kicking up dust on the moon and Mars.
• •The instrument uses a radar to generate millimeter waves and to catalog the time they take to return after getting reflected by hovering dust clouds.
• •The instrument could be mounted between a spacecraft's landing legs or deployed during the descent process such that it gathers relevant data well before touchdown.

When spacecraft land on dusty surfaces like the moon and Mars, they kick up powdery regolith that blurs the lenses of navigation cameras. A new instrument that accurately catalogs the abundance of dust and debris in its vicinity may thus be deemed essential for spacecraft landings on the moon and Mars.

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