A huge air rifle is deployed in a special laboratory to ensure the safety of future astronauts.

That may sound a bit contradictory, but in the innovative NASA Glenn Research Center’s Ballistic Impact Lab the huge air gun plays an important role in preparation for the manned moon missions. It is being used to fire simulated micrometeorites at materials that NASA is considering using on the moon.

Textile

At the moment, the laboratory is specifically focusing on various types of textiles that could potentially be used as a shelter for moon travelers in the future. The materials are designed to be relatively soft and flexible. But it is also very important that they are sturdy and that when they are hit by something – such as a micrometeorite for example – they are not immediately damaged or – worse – cracks. “If the object is under pressure, a leak – depending on how big it is – could be catastrophic,” said study researcher Mike Pereira.

Air gun

To test the sturdiness of the materials selected by NASA, the researchers therefore use a 12-meter-long air rifle. With that rifle, steel balls are fired at the materials. In order to simulate the situation on the moon as closely as possible, the air rifle is connected to a vacuum chamber. Just like on the moon, the steel balls experience no resistance from the air and therefore retain more speed. Using special sensors and super-fast cameras, the effects that the steel balls have on the materials are recorded in detail.

Target

On the basis of the experiments it can be determined how strong the materials are. And how they could possibly be improved. Or how many layers of textile are needed to stop micrometeorites.

It may sound very simple: make a shelter on the moon. But it certainly isn’t. First of all, the moon is not very hospitable. There is no atmosphere (and therefore no air), limited gravity and temperatures can fluctuate enormously; from -150 degrees Celsius in the shade to 120 degrees Celsius in the sun. Radiation and micrometeorites are also something to take into account. Not to mention the dust that sticks to everything. And then the materials from which the shelter is built must also be relatively light and can be stored fairly compactly to keep the costs of launch manageable.

The researchers in the NASA Glenn Research Center’s Ballistic Impact Lab are not only concerned with materials that can be used to create living and working space on the moon in the future. The laboratory also tests materials that may become part of the spacesuit that astronauts wear on the moon or during work on the moon. Lunar Gateway going to wear.

NASA wants to go back to the moon and has set up the Artemis program for that purpose. The aim is to undertake several manned missions to the moon within this program and thus further explore our natural satellite and gain knowledge and experience to take the next step: a manned mission to Mars. Originally it was planned that the US would put people on the moon by 2024. But that timeline recently turned out to be a bit too ambitious. Delays in both the development of the lunar lander and lunar-capable spacesuits are forcing NASA to delay the first manned Artemis mission until at least 2025.