The Behavior of High-Velocity Dust Generated by Lander Plumes in the Lunar Environment

Lunar lander plumes have been determined to generate fine ejecta at speeds exceeding 2 km/s [1], and recent work [2] has shown that Escape Velocity Domain (EVD) ejecta may remain in orbit for extended periods of time. By confining this study to expected near-term lunar activity and the known cone of dust generated by lunar landings, the behavior of high-velocity dust is characterized in an effort to understand its impact on orbiting lunar infrastructure such as the Gateway as well as the footprint of reimpacting dust on the lunar surface. In addition to the regular 3-body gravitation effects, the effects of Solar Radiation Pressure and charge are both quantified and modeled.