Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Lunar Dustbusters

Posted by kdawson on from the wipe-your-feet dept.

Maggie McKee writes "Moon dust could be a source of oxygen and metals. But moon dust could also lodge in astronauts' lungs, possibly triggering long-term health effects. During the relatively short Apollo Moon landing missions nearly 40 years ago, astronauts reported difficulty breathing. So now, before astronauts return to the moon in 2020, NASA is working on a number of ways to reduce the amount of lunar dust astronauts are exposed to — from simple grates on the floor to magnetic wands and giant lint rollers."

4 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Before assuming... by Monkey_Genius · · Score: 5, Informative

    That lunar dust is "not hazardous", read this: MICRO-MORPHOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LUNAR DUST The part about "glass shards" really brings the "point" home.

    --
    I've got your sig, right here.
  2. Re:Lunar Dust by Jonny+do+good · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually smoking may be benificial here. The dust would tend to stick to the tar rather than scatter freely. Just look at the inside of a computer from a smokers house... the fans a gummed up, sticky dust covers everything and canned air does nothing on the tar laced dust. Mabe the tar can be used to help clean the dust from the air? NASA should give me funding to test this theory :-) Maybe the astronauts shouldn't smoke themselves but a tar derived from smokers homes could be used in air filters or something.

  3. Re:Ze new bucket and ze cleaning woman by IHC+Navistar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah...send a woman.....

    Every time a New Moon comes around, she'll bith the living hell out of Mission Control. However, there is an upside: Mission Control has a 'mute' button.
    I can hear it already:

    Lunar Lander: "Goddamn it! Who the hell tracked dirt in here?! I just finished cleaning this mess up! Am I the only one who picks up around here?!"

    Mission Control: "Ma'am, just calm down, Everything is going to be fine."

    Lunar Lander: "Fine?! How the hell is this 'fine'?!"

    Mission Control: "Look, just calm down. It's nothing to get pissy about. Jeez... just frickin' relax!"

    Lunar Lander: "REALX?! That's all you ever do is relax! Every time I come in it's nothin but you sitting down in front of the damn TV with---"
    (click)
    Mission Control: "So, Bob, you catch the race the other day?"
    Mission Control: "Yeah. Speaking of races, see if you can put NASCAR up on the big screen.
    Mission Control: "Hold on a sec. Lemme check just one thing first....."
    (click)
    Lunar Lander: "GODDAMNITWHATTHEHELLAREYOUFATASSESDOINGDOWNTHEREA LLYOUEVERDOIS-----"
    (click)
    Mission Control: "What you guys wanna watch? Fishing, Foxworthy, or Nascar?
    (sounds of beer cans opening, feet being put up on the table, and loud belching)

    --
    Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
  4. Gasp by Jeppe+Utzon · · Score: 5, Funny

    During the relatively short Apollo Moon landing missions nearly 40 years ago, astronauts reported difficulty breathing.

    And that is how we discovered that the Moon doesn't have an atmosphere...