NASA’s Perseverance Offers Clues to Protect Crews From Mars Dust

NASA's Perseverance rover has provided valuable insights into the behavior of Martian dust, which could help protect future astronauts exploring the Red Planet. Over 1,645 Martian days, the rover collected samples of spacesuit materials and measured the fine and ultrafine dust particles that cling to them. These findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could inform the design of spacesuits, habitats, dust-removal procedures, and health standards for Mars missions.

The dust particles on Mars are smaller than those found on the Moon, and they are enriched in sulfur, chlorine, and iron, with higher silica content. Some of these ultrafine particles are small enough to penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, posing a health risk for astronauts. The rover's instruments, SHERLOC and PIXL, detected particles as small as 100 nanometers, compared to the earlier measurements that resolved dust particles down to about 3 micrometers.

The study found that different materials attract different sizes of dust particles due to static electricity. Fine dust adheres more readily to organic polymers like Teflon, which are common in the outer layers of spacesuits. This suggests that suit designers should consider materials that hold less dust or apply protective coatings to minimize the amount of dust that enters the suit.

Additionally, suitports and dual-chamber airlocks could help reduce the entry of dust inside astronauts' living quarters during future missions.