OT: Let's all go to the Moon...

Narrew · #1 December 5th, 2003, 12:12 AM

well, I would weigh a lot less, woohoo.

Arkcon · #2 December 5th, 2003, 01:33 AM

Yeah, I heard this story on slashdot -- and I thought it was pretty cool to hear.

I have a question, before the dialog over there on /. degenerated into politics, someone mentioned that the moon's regolith made it past the joints in the Apollo spacesuits and began to pinch the astronauts.

That sounds ridiculous to me, those suits should have been air-tight. Right? Or am I wrong? Anyone even hear of this?

Cyrien · #3 December 5th, 2003, 01:39 AM

Some of the dust on the moon is smaller than air molecules.

Phoenix-D · #4 December 5th, 2003, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cyrien:
Some of the dust on the moon is smaller than air molecules.

Um, you sure? Most air is N2- it doesn't get a whole lot smaller than that. Especially for something recognizable as dust.

Cyrien · #5 December 5th, 2003, 02:58 AM

You are right. I was posting based on something I thought I remembered reading a while back. Couldn't find anything about that now. Did find these that explain it. Apparantly the dust is very fine and abrasive and gets in the joints of the suits and other equipment and causes them to cease to work and jam up.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/res...0/pdf/7004.pdf

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0007/21moondust/

[ December 05, 2003, 00:58: Message edited by: Cyrien ]

narf poit chez BOOM · #6 December 5th, 2003, 06:25 AM

and an appropraite webcomic page for it from the very cute Count Your Sheep: http://sheep123.keenspace.com/d/20031003.html

Suicide Junkie · #7 December 5th, 2003, 04:26 PM

Well, the dust could easily have gotten into external portions of the suits. Any parts outside of the air-vaccuum barrier could get clogged up.

Also, the dust they would have tracked inside could then have gotten in when they remove their helmets.