Electrodynamic Excavation of Lunar Regolith

Clifford Hall, Room 210

Lunar dust is a promising target for in-situ resource utilization, potentially providing future space missions with propellant, life support consumables, and building material. However, the abrasive and adhesive qualities of regolith make it challenging to work with. Furthermore, traditional excavation methods (which rely on the weight of the excavator to break soil) are less effective in the low lunar gravity. This project proposes a novel excavator based on the electrodynamic dust shield, which uses embedded wire electrodes to levitate dust off a surface. By activating electrodes in sequence, dust may be transferred across the surface without moving parts. A swarm of small excavators could cover themselves in dust, levitating it into their collection bins, before moving to a drop off point and reactivating the original functionality of the dust shield to deposit their cargo. This process takes advantage of both dust adhesion and low gravity, potentially representing a new tool in space industrial operations.