NASA finds ultrafine Martian dust that could pose health risks
NASA just found out that Mars isn't just red: it's dusty in a way that could be risky for future astronauts.
The Perseverance rover detected ultrafine dust particles, some as small as 100 nanometers, on samples of spacesuit materials carried aboard the rover.
These are so small they can get into your lungs and might even reach the brain, which is definitely not ideal for anyone spending time on Mars.
Perseverance finds dust clings to suits
The rover spent over four years testing how this dust sticks to calibration targets containing Teflon and basaltic glass, and Teflon and Vectran samples used in spacesuit materials.
Turns out, the tiniest particles (about 700 times thinner than a human hair) adhere to surfaces, with static electricity appearing to influence how dust adhered to them.
NASA is considering spacesuit materials and protective coatings that collect less dust, and suitports and dual-chamber airlocks to prevent contaminated suits from bringing dust into habitats during long missions on the Red Planet.