Fiscal Year:
2009
Title:
Multi-Use Coating for Abrasion Prevention, Wear Protection, and Lunar Dust Removal
Agency:
NASA
Contract:
NNX09CD23P
Award Amount:
$100,000.00
Abstract:
The deleterious effects of lunar dust, typically less than 50 ýým in diameter, have to be addressed prior to establishing a human base and long duration human presence on the surface of the moon. These effects include abrasion of seals, gaskets, motors, actuators, gimbals, bearings, blocking of optical windows, and coating of thermal control surfaces and solar panels with lunar dust. Negative physiological effects due to dust inhalation by astronauts must be mitigated. Issues related to lunar dust have been identified since the Apollo missions; however, no credible mitigation techniques have been implemented to date. The essence of this proposed activity is to develop a dual-use coating system - a highly wear resistant coating surface that can also perform as part of an electrically conductive circuit upon demand to minimize wear surface abrasion and, when electrically activated, repel fine lunar dust particles from wear surfaces, sealing surfaces, and complex geometries. Multi-use wear resistant surfaces are also applicable to space structures such as the trundle bearings on the space station solar arrays.
Small Business Information at Submission:
Plasma Processes, Inc.
4914 Moores Mill Road Huntsville, AL 35811
EIN/Tax ID:
631100320
DUNS:
N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned:
No
Minority-Owned:
No
HUBZone-Owned:
No