Ep381_Commercial_Lunar_Tools_and_Science

Houston, We Have a Podcast Episode 386: EHP Tools || Guests: Holly Newton Mejia and Dr. Juliane Gross Introduction Houston, we have a podcast! Welcome to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center, Episode 386: Commercial Lunar Tools. I’m Joseph Zakrzewski, and I’ll be your host today. On this podcast we bring in the experts: scientists, engineers, and astronauts, all to let you know what’s going on in the world of human spaceflight, and more. When humans first set foot on the Moon more than fifty years ago during the Apollo program, they relied on specialized tools to help them explore the lunar surface and collect valuable samples. While those tools served their purpose, the Artemis generation of lunar explorers will face a new set of challenges, particularly at the Moon’s south pole—a rugged landscape with challenging lighting conditions. To conduct meaningful science and exploration in this extreme environment, astronauts will need cutting-edge tools that are durable, reusable, and optimized for use with modern spacesuits. That’s where NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, or EHP, comes in. This program is partnering with U.S. industry to develop new spacesuits, lunar tools, and mobility solutions that will enable safe and effective exploration on the Moon. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be taking a closer look at each of these critical components and continue our EHP series today with lunar hardware and tools. Joining us on this episode are Holly Newton Mejia, NASA’s EVA Tools Project Manager, and Dr. Juliane Gross, the Artemis Sample Curation Lead from NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, or ARES Division. Together, they help design, develop, and train astronauts on the tools that will enable literal groundbreaking science on the lunar surface. Let’s dig in! MUSICAL OPENER OPENING CONVERSATION Hi Dr. Gross and Holly! Thank you so much for coming on Houston We Have a Podcast today. TOPIC 1: Biography • Tell me about each of you – where are you from, where did you go to school, and what did you study? • How did you first get involved with NASA/the aerospace industry? • What roles have you held prior to your current ones that prepared you for what you do now? • Can you explain to me what your current roles involve? TOPIC 2: THE TOOLS • The Moon, especially the South Pole, isn’t the friendliest place for tools. How do you design tools that can withstand such a harsh environment? • What lessons did NASA learn from Apollo about tool durability and usability, and how are those lessons influencing Artemis designs? • Commercial partners are developing the next generation of spacesuit, tools, and lunar rovers, but tool development leverages NASA’s deep expertise. What does that collaboration look like? • Why can’t we just use “off-the-shelf” tools? What makes lunar tools unique? • How are astronauts expected to carry and organize their tools during moonwalks? • Apollo astronauts used hammers, tongs, rakes, and scoops. Are Artemis astronauts using similar tools, or are there new innovations? TOPIC 3: DEVELOPMENT • Designing tools is one thing—testing them in a lunar-like environment is another. How does NASA make sure these tools will work on the Moon? • Astronauts need to be able to use these tools while wearing spacesuits—which limits dexterity. How do you design tools with this in mind? • What types of missions and training environments do astronauts use to practice with their tools? • Can you share some testing that has already occurred? TOPIC 4: LUNAR SCEICNE & SAMPLE COLLECTION – ARTEMIS & BEYOND • Why is lunar sample return so important, and what are scientists hoping to learn from Artemis samples? • How do the science objectives of Artemis differ from those of Apollo? • Not all crew members are not geologists by trade. How do you train them in geology, sample collection techniques, and what to look for on the lunar surface? • Sample collection is a critical part of Artemis science. The containers that hold these lunar samples are considered tools themselves—what makes them unique? • Some of these containers will be able to seal a vacuum sample from the Moon. Why is this significant? • One of the most iconic lunar tools is the core sample drive tube. How does it work, and what can scientists learn from core samples? • Once collected, how do you ensure these samples return to Earth as pristine as possible while preserving the lunar environment? • A lot of work has gone into preparing the curation facility at Johnson for these new samples. Can you share the latest on those preparations? Thank you for joining us on the podcast. Music Closer Outro Thanks for sticking around, I hope you learned something new today. Check nasa.gov for the latest news around the agency. All of our episodes, as well as our sister NASA podcasts, can be found at Nasa.gov/podcasts. There you’ll be able to find our previous episode about the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program’s new spacesuits, and you can expect another episode about their lunar rovers for the Artemis program soon. In the meantime, you can go ahead and find out more about all of EHP’s work at nasa.gov/suits-and-rovers. You can follow Johnson Space Center on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Use #askNASA on your favorite platform to submit your idea, and make sure to mention it’s for HWHAP. This episode was recorded Friday, February 28. Thanks to Will Flato, Daniel Tohill, Courtney Beasley, Gary Jordan, and Dominique Crespo. Special thanks to Tim Hall and Victoria Ugalde for helping plan this episode. And of course, thanks again to Holly Newton Mejia and Dr. Juliane Gross for taking the time to come on the show. Give us a rating and feedback on whatever platform you’re listening to us on -- and tell us what you think of our podcast. We’ll be back next week.