In a bold leap towards establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon, NASA’s Artemis program is set to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. With ambitious plans for human and robotic missions, the space agency faces the intricate challenge of landing larger spacecraft equipped with more powerful engines in uncharted moonscapes.
The Artemis missions mark a departure from the Apollo era, as the new landers will be significantly larger and boast more potent engines. However, with greater size and power comes increased risk during the delicate maneuvers of landing and liftoff. To address these challenges, NASA is leveraging cutting-edge technology to predict and mitigate the risks associated with the powerful plumes of hot gas generated by the spacecraft’s engines during descent and liftoff.
Landing on the Moon presents a unique set of challenges. The spacecraft must navigate an environment with low gravity, no atmosphere, and lunar regolith—a layer of fine, loose dust and rock covering the Moon’s surface. When a spacecraft’s engines fire, supersonic plumes of hot gas are directed toward the lunar surface, causing dust clouds, ejecting rocks, and potentially eroding the surface beneath the lander.
To better understand these complex interactions, researchers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have developed sophisticated software tools. These tools predict Plume-Surface Interactions (PSI) environments, helping mission planners anticipate and mitigate potential hazards. The software is currently in use for various NASA projects, including the Human Landing System, Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, and future Mars landers.
One notable achievement of this technology is the accurate simulation of the Apollo 12 lander engine plumes interacting with the lunar surface. The simulation, produced by the NASA Marshall team, closely matched the actual erosion that occurred during the Apollo 12 landing. This breakthrough allows scientists to predict forces exerted by plumes on the surface, particularly shear stress—the lateral force applied over a set area, known to be a leading cause of erosion.
These simulations, executed on the Pleiades supercomputer at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing facility in California’s Silicon Valley, spanned several weeks, generating terabytes of data. By comprehensively understanding plume-surface interactions, NASA aims to minimize risks to spacecraft and crew during future lunar and Mars missions. The advanced software provides crucial insights, ensuring the success and safety of the Artemis program’s ambitious lunar exploration endeavors.
