Project description
On a mission to dust space
Dust can be a threat for exploration missions. Charged dust particles are present on the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids. Inhalation of lunar dust by astronauts poses a high risk, leading to adverse health effects. With this in mind, the EU-funded DUSTER project will develop instrumentation and technologies to study the electrical charging and transport of dust particles. Specifically, the project will develop an instrument for in situ analysis of dust-like particles and their transport in the context of planetary and small-body exploration missions. This instrument will be designed to measure the set of parameters (electrostatic charging of particles, ambient plasma and electric field) for which dust-like particles can be moved. The project will also test and validate the instrument.
Objective
International scientific and commercial interests in exploration missions to solar system bodies such as the Moon, asteroids and comets have increased significantly. Several exploration missions are planned in the near future, in particular to the Moon. One major environmental constraint during those missions is the presence of charged dust-like particles, as they can degrade equipment by accelerating wear. Moreover, exposure to and inhalation of dust can have a range of toxic effects on human explorers. There is a recognised need for developing efficient dust mitigation systems. To develop such systems, (i) better knowledge and models of dust charging and transportation in those environments are needed, and (ii) technologies to move charged dust particles in a controlled way must be validated. The objective of the DUSTER project is to develop an instrument for in situ analysis of dust-like particles and their transport in the context of planetary and small body exploration missions. This instrument will be designed to measure for which set of parameters (electrostatic charging of particles, ambient plasma, imposed electric field) dust-like particles can be moved. The technology developed can serve as a basis to design electrostatic dust mitigation devices and dust sample-collecting equipment. The above-mentioned parameters will be determined theoretically and supported by laboratory-based measurements for particles with different properties and under different conditions. Following the requirements derived from the simulations and laboratory measurements, the individual sub-units and units of the proposed instrument will be designed. An integrated breadboard version of the instrument will be manufactured and tested with the same laboratory setup. The target is to reach TRL 4. The development, manufacturing, testing and validation of the instrument will be a joint effort between scientific, engineering and industrial teams with a strong interdisciplinary approach.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.4.10 - Space, including Earth Observation
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2022-SPACE-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1180 Bruxelles / Brussel
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.