It’s been just over 50 years since man landed on the moon for the first time. As with any major achievement, the Apollo 11 project required years of study, preparation and hard work. Today’s interplanetary explorers look at the Moon, and beyond, but want partners on Earth to reflect the area’s projects in their own backyards. That’s where Off Planet Research comes in. They manufacture simulators, raw fabrics and additives that reproduce the lunar surface for clinical purposes.
Three years before Apollo’s landing, scientists first took lunar samples with the space probe. In 2015, Off Planet Research (OPR) has become one of the few corporations in the world to reproduce these curtains with manufactured simulators that correspond almost perfectly with the lunar floor. “OPR simulates extraterrestrial environments to test landing technologies and spacecraft with an existing focus on the lunar environment,” explains lead researcher Melissa Roth.
This is vital for many reasons. “As engineers, we know that verification is vital to increase project assurance, profitability and increase the progression of area technologies,” Roth says. “We work with organizations in the area to verify their products with our regolith simulators. We also conduct checks in our labs for organizations that do not have their own verification services or cannot bring the simulant to their labs due to dust problems. Our clients come with national and foreign government agencies, personal organizations and institutes of study.
The regolith is explained as “the layer of loose curtains that covers the rocky bed of the earth and the moon … adding earth, sand, rock fragments, volcanic ash, glacial drift, etc.” Roth admits that “many other people don’t know what the regolith is, the demanding situations it presents for human and robotic missions, and how the lunar regolith and the resources it understands can be used to help a long-term presence on the Moon and Lunar Regolite Simulators are fabric manufactured on Earth to simulate, or reflect , the regolith discovered on the Moon for use in studies and tests due to the rarity and coverage of the returned lunar samples.
“The soil of the earth comprises biological matter and the debris is formed through wind and water processes, making them relatively circular and smooth,” Roth explains. “Regolith in airless bodies, such as the Moon, has no biological matter, is not altered by moisture, and has a complete form to have an effect on explosive processes; the regolith on the Moon is very destructive and harmful to humans and technology. It is abrasive as sandpaper and very sensitive to static load due to its giant surface. In addition, more than 60% of the regolith on the Moon is composed of fairly fine debris, such as talc or cake flour. Because of all these factors, the regolith debris gently penetrates the joints of the spacesuits or the movement mechanisms of scouting vehicles and block them”.
Thanks to a new grant from the National Science Foundation, OPR can expand its services. “This grant is intended to expand our frozen regolith simulators and make the procedure portable and optimized to provide this on-site service to our consumers who cannot in our labs.” An eight-month grumpy task opens the logo of new lunar regions to study.
“In 2009, NASA’s LCROSS project discovered ice at the moon’s south pole after recording an impactor’s ejection column,” Roth explains. “This ice is very different from the ice discovered on Earth and probably many parts, such as water, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and methane, to name a few. These are valuable resources on the Moon that can be used to allow a long-term sustainable presence on the Moon and in a deeper space. For example, oxygen and hydrogen can be used in rocket fuel, breathing air, drinking water, and agriculture. Like checking the lunar generation in a regolith simulation before a floor project, it is also vital to check the generation in a glacial regolith simulant if it is destined for the regions of the Moon where ice is expected.
When the OPR team does not provide simulators, conducts research, creates their own device and technology, or assists clients and clinical conferences, the OPR team is also active in the Thurston County community. They have conducted OUTREach activities on STEM and the area in local schools and expect to launch virtual discussions this fall. They were exhibited everywhere, from the Captain Little toy store in downtown Olympia to the Seattle Aviation Museum.
Earthlings may be quarantined due to COVID-19, but clinical studies on stars continue. Even in our own backyard, OPR engineers try to make the moon available and make the area’s mysteries a little less unknown. Follow Off Planet Research on Facebook or LinkedIn to track your progress.