Test Facility Puts Artemis Hardware Through Lunar Dust Trials
Engineers Simulate Vacuum and Regolith Conditions to Ready Spacesuits and Spacecraft Systems for the Moon
Engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center are testing spacesuits, spacecraft components and moving mechanisms inside vacuum chambers designed to mimic conditions on the lunar surface, ahead of future Artemis missions.
“The facility helps develop and test technologies needed for long-duration lunar exploration.”
Mike Salinas, NASA
The testing takes place at the Lunar Development and Test Facility, located within Johnson’s Energy Systems Test Area. The facility is managed by NASA engineers and includes a dust containment and preparation laboratory, a 3-foot cube vacuum chamber and a 15-foot thermal vacuum chamber.
Lunar dust presents a distinct engineering problem. Unlike sand on Earth, lunar dust is sharp and abrasive and clings to surfaces, which can damage equipment and spacesuits and pose health risks to astronauts if left unmitigated.
Inside the chamber, engineers test hardware using lunar regolith simulant under a closed-loop nitrogen system built to recreate lunar conditions. NASA Johnson’s Propulsion and Power Division developed the specialized systems used in the testing.
“The facility helps develop and test technologies needed for long-duration lunar exploration,” said Mike Salinas, branch deputy chief for the Propulsion and Power Division. “Engineers are advancing techniques to extract resources from lunar regolith, which can be turned into oxygen for astronauts and liquid oxygen for rocket propellant.”
The building’s exterior features a mural depicting astronauts on the lunar surface, completed in 2024 by artist Sebastian Boileau.
NASA has also released a 3D virtual tour of the facility, allowing the public to view the test chambers and equipment online.