EXPERIMENTAL PLANETARY SCIENCES: LUNAR LAB

OUR LUNAR LAB FEATURES

ROCKET PLUME INTERACTION EXPERIMENT SETUP

This setup is designed to study the effects of rocket exhaust on lunar regolith, simulating the conditions experienced during lunar landings and takeoffs. Researchers use this setup to understand phenomena such as regolith erosion, particle ejection, and surface changes caused by rocket plumes, which are critical for designing sustainable landing and construction strategies on the Moon.

MAGNETIC BENEFICATION SYSTEM

This system exploits the magnetic properties of lunar regolith to separate and concentrate valuable materials, such as iron-bearing minerals. It consists of magnetic separators and feed mechanisms to process simulated or actual regolith samples.

ELECTROSTATIC BENEFICATION SYSTEM

An electrostatic beneficiation system uses electric fields to separate particles in lunar regolith based on their size, charge, or composition. This system often includes a triboelectric charging mechanism to induce charges in particles and an electric field to sort them. Such systems are crucial for isolating specific minerals or removing harmful fine dust, contributing to resource extraction and mitigating dust-related hazards during lunar operations

MICROWAVE SINTERING STUDYING SYSTEM

This system investigates the use of microwaves to heat and sinter lunar regolith, enabling the production of durable materials for construction on the Moon. The setup includes microwave generators, regolith sample holders, and temperature monitoring tools to study the sintering process under simulated lunar conditions.


LUNAR LAB ACTIVE RESEARCH

  1. Principal Investigator on a state funded start-up grant on Space Research Initiative (SRI) on “Properties of Lunar minerals and their use in support of sustainable exploration.” 2022-2024.
  2. Permaculture: enhancing germination rates and biomass production in plants cultivated in lunar soils. Understanding of plant health and their genetic expression or response to remediated lunar soils.
  3. Vermiculture: Study of compost worm on a controlled habitat cell to aid in support for vermi-bioremediation of lunar regolith.
  4. Microwave sintering of regolith: a recipe to produce building blocks.
  5. Migration behavior of nano-phase Iron as a thermal interaction, metal extraction from regolith.
  6.  Researcher on Ejecta STORM: High Spatio-temporal resolution particle sizer for plume induced ejecta clouds.
  7. Research on CLASS (Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science) Planetary Landing Team. Erosion dynamics on rocket plume interaction.