So you need to get rid of some Moon Dust

 Here is one idea to handle it:

A crew might construct a large room to receive a person with a bulky spacesuit. Then the astronaut would proceed to walk through a narrower, square-ish entry at the opposite end from the airlock door. This would have three long, narrow strips running all the way around the entry, recessed inside the entry frame. Each strip would have powerful fans built in along the sides of a flat metal strip, drawing air and regolith dust inward. (At the center of each strip would be a flat-ish metal strip that is red-hot.) Any regolith that hits the strip would presumably melt, turn molten. Then a fan at the base would draw material downward – or the molten regolith would flow downward by some fashion. Perhaps the strips could be moving slowly, to draw the molten material down. At the base, the strips could traverse a long, narrow space where they could somehow deposit or drop the molten stuff into a receptacle. Then, rotate back into the chamber to catch more materials. The whole unit would only be activated by a button inside the airlock, or another inside the base – so it would not use any more power than necessary. (It is presumed that electrical power would be at a premium.)

Three such strips, spaced about 1 ft apart, could catch most of the moon dust that an astronaut brings in. A final poweful filter and fans could catch any remainder. The molten material could even be injected into a mold and used as building material or shielding.

The expense of an airlock like this would mean there is just one, installed at the human entry to a moon base. But it could solve the problem of abrasive, cutting dust particles carried inside, and even use them as molten building blocks. The door could be powered by the on-site nuclear powerplant, or by solar power separately.

To test the idea, a chamber could be built on earth, and glass powder could be used to test the “catching ability” of a chamber entry like this. It would be worth it to try it out, since molten regolith that is diverted out could help keep occupants healthy, and also be used as a building material on the Moon.

The main problem is coming up with a fan assembly that could be used to draw air and dust inward, across a super-hot strip (air or gas that would have to come from somewhere). And finding a metal that could be heated like that, and contained, and even turned. CO2 gas might be used as a drawing-in gas, thus utilizing exhalations. Or some other gas, like nitrogen, which might be needed anyway in a long-term base. It is one possible solution to dealing with that nasty glass-like lunar regolith dust.

Thanks for reading and at least considering the idea.

loops and arcs

 

To be young and anticipate all of the future delights.

Times ahead with some intimate other,

cuddling, kissing and realizing intense feelings.

The unknown powerfully beckons!

Even after the physical is finished, that ache in your

gut stays on, and you moon away, in love with love.

To be in the moment,

making love or simply kissing;

everything else is shut out,

time slows and you are happy to exist right now.

To be older, and lose the anticipations,

no more sense of wonder or hope.

You’ve done it all, experienced love and loss,

rebound and more love and more loss.

Various intimate scenarios have unfolded,

and expended themselves with high intensity;

fiery suns erupted inside you, then faded away.

The older body will not function as well,

and if sexual pleasure happens at all, it is shorter, more furtive.

Wonder and delight is left to swim in the sea of memory.

(No longer desired, one can sit back and watch other scenes play out.)

The dramas of life can unfold on TV or in others,

and one can relax, and rediscover the simple things.

Thanks given for each day one can stay healthy and mobile,

and maybe go see some sights.

The sweeping arc just repeats with each human lifetime.

I’m just glad that we were able to enjoy ours to the fullest.

Weather

 

How do they do it?

Out in the frigid air,

working, or playing football,

bare arms exposed to snow and zero temps.

I shiver indoors, wearing layers.

The heat is working, but turned down.

Every time the furnace comes on I give thanks.

C’mon, everything, keep on working,

at least until it warms up some!

Elsewhere, wildfires still burn,

political vitriol fanning different flames.

The world still smolders with embers of anger;

Some outbreaks of peace give occasional hope.

Maybe somehow a huge wave of peace can blanket

the earth, just like this cursed polar vortex.

The former will be a true blanket of warmth.

Not holding my breath here, just staying warm,

hoping that the mechanicals don’t fail.

Time will tell how “Cold” or “Hot” this year will get,

politically or environmentally.

Happy Inauguration Day.

Primeval Old or New

 (With reference to the new Netflix series  "American Primeval" )

Slanted harmonica tunes fade in afternoon dust,

light and shadow play across splayed bodies

spread out in bloody sand, scattered with

arrows and bottles, belts and bullets and guns.

On the corpse-strewn roadways of the American West,

how many weary souls have been laid to rest.

After striving and seeking and travel through expanse

Ducking, dodging and weaving to make advance.

What price does freedom carry when you’ve shot

your spouse, and flee across vast territories?

Whose god should take precedence when the law

is not around to watch, and protect the innocents?

Blood spills red every time, no matter which mangled

body it escapes from, no matter how tortuous the journey.

Native tribes, military officers, settlers or tavern owners

can offend each other so that killing ends up the solution.

Stymied harmonica tunes fade off in the afternoon light,

A myriad of shadows color laid or splayed bodies.

The sand is caked red with human despair and detritus,

along with arrows and bottles and belts and guns.

A hundred-fifty years later the whole miserable tableau

is hidden and covered by immense concrete and steel;

New civilization obscures the old in gleaming magnificence.

Human beings never change, however, so new blood

still gets spilled on presently decaying streets all around.

Wildfire January

 

Wildfires coat the air with orange and soot,

fire hoses, detritus and bodies underfoot.

Another mega-disaster unfolds in the west,

putting our recovery abilities to the test.

Hurricanes, flooding, snowstorms and wildfires

create so much human misery, and they require

all of us to work together to recover

from the many disasters we encounter.

Surely it is within our collective DNA

to rally together and commit all to the fray.

Perhaps redirect resources to fight these battles

facing us on so many fronts, keeping us rattled.

Times like these try the hearts of all human beings

challenge us to overcome devastation and miseries.

Happy New Year 2025

 

HNY 25

On this New Year's Day we stand,

With hopes and dreams close at hand.

The past behind, the future bright,
A canvas fresh, in morning light.

The fireworks loud, the year turns new,
A promise by the sky's deep blue.
We'll chase the stars, with hearts aglow,
And in each step, let our courage grow.

Old shadows fade, but lessons stay,
Guiding us or turning hairs grey.
A brand-new start, a chance to be,
Who we have yet to dare to see.

So raise a glass, both young and old,
To stories new and tales retold.
This year is ours, a path to pave,
With hope to carry, strong and brave.

Happy New Year, the journey's here,
Let's greet it with a cheer, sincere.
For every day, a chance to find,
A brighter world, and peace of mind.