Lunar dust model highlights risks for spacecraft and future moon base projects

by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 21, 2025

A group of researchers in China has developed a new theoretical model to study how low-velocity lunar dust interacts with spacecraft surfaces. The model is designed to improve predictions about dust adhesion and removal, supporting long-term lunar missions and base construction.

The study explains that the lunar surface is covered in fine dust which has a strong tendency to stick to spacecraft and spacesuits. These particles have an adhesion strength ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 kN/m2 and pose a significant obstacle to sustained lunar operations. Unlike hypervelocity impacts that cause direct damage, the gradual adhesion of slow-moving dust can quietly degrade equipment over time.

The researchers created a detailed simulation that considers how both spacecraft and lunar dust acquire electric charges depending on their position in sunlight or shade. The model assumes a spacecraft covered in a dielectric coating and calculates the forces affecting a single spherical dust particle. Three types of electrostatic force are considered: electric field force, dielectrophoretic force, and image force. The decay of electric potential in the plasma sheath is specifically modeled.

To analyze collisions, the team applied established physics models to describe how dust particles compress, deform, and adhere when striking spacecraft coatings. The JKR model is used to account for adhesive interactions, while further details describe energy losses from plastic deformation. The model shows that the coefficient of restitution, or how much a dust particle bounces, increases with particle size.

Researchers found that thicker dielectric coatings with lower permittivity can effectively lower dust adhesion by reducing electrostatic force. Further results indicate that the charge present on dust particles has a larger effect than the charge on the spacecraft itself, and that van der Waals forces, not just electrostatic attraction, play a major role at low charge values.

The model also suggests that using surfaces made from low-surface-energy materials, and increasing roughness, can help mitigate dust accumulation. Only dust particles within a specific velocity range actually remain stuck after collisions.

The publication concludes that this new model offers a framework for mitigating dust pollution on lunar spacecraft and habitats and can be adapted to investigate similar industrial problems on Earth.

Research Report:Modeling of electrostatic and contact interaction between low-velocity lunar dust and spacecraft