NASA Tests Force Shields to Save People and Equipment from Lunar Dust

In some images from the last century, Apollo astronauts looked like miners emerging from a coalface — this is how the ubiquitous lunar dust manifested itself. It covered spacesuits and equipment, penetrated into people’s lungs, which did not add to their health or to the performance of equipment. In March 2025, NASA tested dust protection on the Moon using an electromagnetic field for the first time. The experiment was conducted on the Blue Ghost module of Firefly Aerospace, and it was considered a success.

Apollo 17 mission commander Gene Cernan covered in moon dust. Image Credit: NASA

Moon dust is especially unpleasant because it has sharp edges that are erased on Earth by water and gravity. In addition, in the absence of an atmosphere, the dust acquires an electrostatic charge and sticks to literally everything. It is impossible to simply shake it off or wipe it off – this requires a certain amount of effort. Therefore, to combat moon dust, something else is needed, for example, protection using an electromagnetic field. Moreover, the field must be variable and have specified properties in order to effectively remove dust stuck to the surface.

An experimental electrodynamic dust shield (EDS) of this type was installed on the Blue Ghost module. A high-voltage alternating signal with a power of 1 kW with a certain phase shift sequence was applied to tiny electrodes located under the surface to be protected from dust. This alternating electric field created so-called dielectrophoretic forces, which are a non-uniform electric field that generates a traveling wave. Thus, the field moved dust along the surface. By adjusting the phase sequence, it was possible to direct the dust in the desired direction, as if controlling it with an invisible hand.

NASA’s Force Shield in Operation

The proposed solution does not contain moving parts, which means it can operate continuously or periodically, removing dust from optics, solar panels, spacesuits, their visors, radiators, portholes and other surfaces without wear. The experiment proved that the system functions and has good prospects.