NASA Launches Groundbreaking Experiment to Understand Lunar Landings
As NASA's Artemis program inches closer to sending humans back to the Moon, researchers are working tirelessly to understand the complex physics involved in lunar landings. A new experiment at the agency's Langley Research Center is focused on simulating the interaction between a spacecraft's engine plumes and the lunar surface.
The Blue Ghost Mission-1, which successfully landed on the Moon last year, employed a state-of-the-art camera system to capture data imagery of the plume-surface interaction. This experiment aims to build upon that success by conducting a series of plume-surface interaction tests inside a massive 60-foot spherical vacuum chamber.
The goal of this test is twofold: to better understand the hazards associated with lunar landings, including the potential for damage from engine plumes and to develop safer landing systems. Researchers will be testing two types of propulsion systems, an ethane plume simulation system and a hybrid rocket motor, which will be fired into a bin of simulated lunar regolith.
The experiment is being led by Ashley Korzun, who notes that the tests are "the most complex test of its kind to be undertaken in a vacuum chamber." The campaign, which will run through spring 2026, involves multiple NASA centers, academic institutions, and commercial entities working together to improve predictive models and design space hardware.
The data collected from this experiment will be crucial in developing and validating models that predict the effects of plume-surface interaction for landing on the Moon and even Mars. According to Daniel Stubbs, an engineer with the human landing systems plume and aero environments team at NASA Marshall, "the data from these tests will be critical in ensuring mission success and the safety of our astronauts."
The ultimate goal of this experiment is not just to send humans back to the Moon but also to pave the way for future missions to Mars. As Korzun noted, "Mars has always been in our roadmap," and the lessons learned from this experiment will be essential in preparing for those missions.
With the Artemis program pushing the boundaries of space exploration, researchers like Korzun and Stubbs are working tirelessly to ensure that future missions are safe, successful, and pave the way for a new era of human spaceflight.
As NASA's Artemis program inches closer to sending humans back to the Moon, researchers are working tirelessly to understand the complex physics involved in lunar landings. A new experiment at the agency's Langley Research Center is focused on simulating the interaction between a spacecraft's engine plumes and the lunar surface.
The Blue Ghost Mission-1, which successfully landed on the Moon last year, employed a state-of-the-art camera system to capture data imagery of the plume-surface interaction. This experiment aims to build upon that success by conducting a series of plume-surface interaction tests inside a massive 60-foot spherical vacuum chamber.
The goal of this test is twofold: to better understand the hazards associated with lunar landings, including the potential for damage from engine plumes and to develop safer landing systems. Researchers will be testing two types of propulsion systems, an ethane plume simulation system and a hybrid rocket motor, which will be fired into a bin of simulated lunar regolith.
The experiment is being led by Ashley Korzun, who notes that the tests are "the most complex test of its kind to be undertaken in a vacuum chamber." The campaign, which will run through spring 2026, involves multiple NASA centers, academic institutions, and commercial entities working together to improve predictive models and design space hardware.
The data collected from this experiment will be crucial in developing and validating models that predict the effects of plume-surface interaction for landing on the Moon and even Mars. According to Daniel Stubbs, an engineer with the human landing systems plume and aero environments team at NASA Marshall, "the data from these tests will be critical in ensuring mission success and the safety of our astronauts."
The ultimate goal of this experiment is not just to send humans back to the Moon but also to pave the way for future missions to Mars. As Korzun noted, "Mars has always been in our roadmap," and the lessons learned from this experiment will be essential in preparing for those missions.
With the Artemis program pushing the boundaries of space exploration, researchers like Korzun and Stubbs are working tirelessly to ensure that future missions are safe, successful, and pave the way for a new era of human spaceflight.
This experiment is literally a step in the right direction for NASA's Artemis program 
. I mean, think about it - we're talking about simulating engine plume-surface interactions on the Moon and Mars 
. That's some crazy sci-fi stuff that could actually save lives one day 
. I'm hyped to see what kind of innovations come out of this project 
. The fact that multiple NASA centers, academic institutions, and commercial entities are working together is a huge step forward 
. Now, let's get the data from these tests and make some predictions about future space missions 
!
. understanding the physics behind lunar landings is super crucial if we wanna have any hope of sending humans back to the moon & eventually to Mars 
it's mind-blowing stuff! 
. Ashley Korzun is doing some amazing work over there & I think she's totally right when she says Mars has always been on their roadmap 
.
. it's not just about getting humans back to the moon, it's about making sure those missions are successful & safe for everyone involved 
. can't wait to see what they come up with next! 
Still, if it helps improve our understanding of the physics involved and develops safer landing systems, I'm down for it 
. But let's not forget, we're talking about billions of dollars being spent on this research - we should have realistic expectations and timelines 
.
. Can't they optimize it already?! 
Anyway, back to NASA's new experiment... sounds cool, but why did they have to make it so complicated? 
I mean, can't we just get some decent data without all the fuss? 
The fact that they're using a 60-foot spherical vacuum chamber is just wild. Like, who comes up with this stuff?! 
The whole thing sounds like a mess to me... but hey, at least the data might be worth something in the end 
.
i love that nasa is working on this and that the data collected will help pave the way for future missions to mars... its like, the ultimate goal 
like, whoa! Ashley Korzun is leading this whole thing & she says its gonna be super complex lol. anywayz, the goal is 2 make landing safer & more reliable so we can go back 2 the moon & even mars 
NASA's on it tho & ppl like Daniel Stubbs r working hard 2 ensure everything goes smoothly 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, but if they can figure out how to safely land on the moon without causing damage from engine plumes, it's gonna be HUGE 
). It's like they're trying to perfect the space-age version of a landing strip on Earth! 
.