Lunar Dust + Cilia + Nanotechnology
@EarthMoonMars
Eugene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17. one of the most aggravating, restricting facets of lunar surface exploration is the dust and its adherence to everything no matter what kind of material, whether it be skin, suit material, metal, no matter what it be and it’s restrictive friction-like action to everything it gets on”
Based on an earlier design [lunar dust, cilia and nanotechnology , a chance submission to ESA Advance Concept Team ] . This was designed following a direct request for a proposal about cilia physiology and space. This design argues 1] to use human cilia as an animal replacement in space agencies for animal models on testing ''lunar/martian dust'' [i.e. regolith - the artificial simulant] 2] the data obtained could form a personalized medical database thus 3] providing a way to fund space tourism companies before even leaving Earth plus 4] the set-up could be use to test novel airway treatments on Earth. Reducing the need for animal testing. For example KCL were testing a vibrating inhalator device. space4 design herein suggests using the cilia model [plus added dust] as testbed plus using 2 vibrating devices set at 2 frequencies, aka interference = more effective device = more effective at breaking up mucus in diseased airways/lungs. This could apply to help cope with spacedust applied to astronaut umbilical cord. So we have biology for space technology. As per the space4 ethos the design includes a Gantt Chart/project schedule to promote an entrepreneurial approach. Draft proposal attached [doc]. A more adventurous proposal is given in the second reference and focuses a little more on the nanotechnology potential of cilia [pdf]
| Lunar_dust_cilia_and_nanotechnology.pdf |
| space4cilia.doc |
Schematic summary of concept
Image Sources http://cellbio.utmb.edu/cellbio/cilia.htm.)' cysticfibrosis.com, 2013, Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr.] Oracle think tank organization, 2013 Moon and Mars images from NASA. Airway diagram from Joel Spitzer 2013