Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NASA Needs Fake Moon Dust

Posted by Zonk on from the like-to-see-the-requisition-form-for-that dept.

crisco writes "NASA's renewed interest in lunar exploration and 'in situ resource utilization,' or ISRU, is driving the need for tons of carefully faked lunar dust and sand for testing purposes: 'We don't have enough real moondust to go around,' says Larry Taylor, director of Planetary Geosciences Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. To run all the tests, "we need to make a well-qualified lunar simulant.' And not just a few bags will do. 'We need tons of it, mainly for working on technologies for diggers and wheels and machinery on the surface,' adds David S. McKay, chief scientist for astrobiology at the Johnson Space Center (JSC)."

11 of 179 comments (clear)

  1. Fake moon landing site by Joe+The+Dragon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just take it form the Fake moon landing site.

    1. Re:Fake moon landing site by mentaldingo · · Score: 3, Funny
      We need tons of it, mainly for working on technologies for diggers and wheels and machinery on the surface,
      And fake videos..
    2. Re:Fake moon landing site by wootest · · Score: 5, Funny

      I didn't originally come up with this (although I wish I did), but the US is probably the only country where there are people who believe the moon landing was fake and wrestling is real.

  2. Re:okay, folks.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apparently, tons of them, mainly for working on technologies for diggers and wheels and machinery on the surface.

  3. Re:okay, folks.. by cavtroop · · Score: 3, Funny

    You must be new here....

  4. Oh boy... by wertarbyte · · Score: 3, Funny

    Another movie remake.

    --
    Life is just nature's way of keeping meat fresh.
  5. Re: okay, folks.. by robably · · Score: 5, Funny
    That's 5 comments so far about leftover sand from the fake lunar landings.
    Congratulations, you made it 6!

    And, um, I made it 7.
  6. Riiiiiight by CODiNE · · Score: 4, Funny

    They just want us to think they don't know how to make fake moon dust. :)

    --
    Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
  7. lunar simulant by robably · · Score: 4, Funny
    a well-qualified lunar simulant
    That's no moon, it's a Space Station.

    And it's got a degree.
  8. Alternative Source Found by Gunfighter · · Score: 4, Funny

    From what I've seen from lunar landing footage and descriptions of the lunar surface, I have about a pound of material that would make a great substitute. It's caked on my video card and motherboard inside my computer case. I'll just scoop it up into a ziplock back and mail it to NASA. Perhaps if the other two million Slashdot readers can empty theirs as well, they would have enough to complete their mission. Where should we mail this stuff to?

    --
    -- Stu

    /. ID under 2,000. I feel old now.
  9. No NASA, no.. by Plutonite · · Score: 3, Funny

    You're not going to cure the apathy of us 18-25 year olds with fake pot. I'm telling you, we're better than that, we are the myspace generation!

    Wait a minute..fake moondust will do just fine.