A comprehensive contamination assessment methodology for lunar regolith on spacecraft

• End-of-life assessment methodology for lunar regolith contamination. • First end-to-end design methodology for future lunar missions. • Comparative analysis of regolith handling, cleaning, and verification. • Showcase of state-of-the-art lunar regolith simulation tools. • Mission performance assessment for regolith-contaminated spacecraft. Future lunar missions designed for prolonged surface operations involving complex robotic or crewed activities demand an increased focus on lunar regolith effects on spacecraft systems and components. The Moon’s entire surface is covered by several meters of fine, adhesive, abrasive, and reactive particles, intensifying the extreme environmental conditions in space. The effects of lunar regolith have been identified by most major space agencies as one of the most critical challenges to overcome in lunar exploration. While much research is performed to increase the current fidelity and knowledge of the regolith effect with combined environmental conditions, the methodology of lunar regolith assessment during the development of a spacecraft is often neglected. In the scope of this work, this report investigates the aspects required for a planetary contamination assessment for lunar missions to establish a methodology which can be used during all mission phases of a project. In order to provide an extensive overview of the established end-to-end planetary contamination assessment, the numerical models and literature data, simulation methods, and important experimental aspects are investigated. Areas not extensively investigated by current state-of-the-art literature will be studied in this work, and recommendations will be provided, including lunar regolith deposition, verification, and cleaning methods. This paper aims to establish the challenges arising from the lunar dust environment and methods to mitigate and anticipate the hazardous environment by showcasing current standards and literature, and assisting in the decision-making process during the contamination assessment of future projects.