ESA Planetary Dust Contamination Workshop 2025

Session

Session 2: Laboratories and test facilities

4 Jun 2025, 11:30

Newton 1 (ESTEC)

7. ESTEC Vacuum dust (adhesion) characterization facility

Bruno Delacourt

04/06/2025, 11:45

Full length presentation

Presentation of the to-be-commissioned ESTEC vacuum dust adhesion facility.

5. Virtual Formulation Laboratory for Prediction and Optimisation of Lunar Regolith Simulant Behaviour in Extra-Terrestrial Environments

Vivek Garg (The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology)

04/06/2025, 12:10

Full length presentation

The Virtual Formulation Laboratory (VFL) is a computational tool (based on empirical modelling) developed to simulate and optimise the behaviour of complex particulate systems. While initially designed for bulk solids handling in terrestrial manufacturing, the technology offers a framework for modelling and analysing lunar regolith simulants, addressing critical challenges in extra-terrestrial...

27. ESA’s Vulcan Analogue Sample Facility: Applied Simulants Research

Christopher Ogunlesi (ESA)

04/06/2025, 12:35

Full length presentation

The Vulcan Facility was created by the NHM in London as a contract deliverable for ESA [1][2][3]. It is now located at ESA’s UK site and houses a collection of Lunar, Martian, and asteroid analogue samples (or ‘simulants’) and benchtop analytical equipment for fundamental properties characterisation. Feedstock materials are also available for design and production of new simulants.

The...

31. LUNA analogue facility

Corinne Barker

04/06/2025, 12:50

Short pitch

An overview of the LUNA analogue testing facility in Cologne

20. A Unified Test Environment for Dust Sensitive Components and Surfaces in a Lunar, Martian, and Terrestrial Operation

bahar kilitoglu (AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE GmbH)

Poster

Dust is challenging in every planetary environment, especially for projects with high reliability and uptime requirements. This includes most lunar and Martian planetary missions as well as specific terrestrial missions, for example, helicopters.
The presence of dust causes accelerated degradation and a consequent reduction in the efficiency and lifetime of affected vehicles. This can, for...