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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)."

4 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 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 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.