Dust-Tolerant Power Connector Test Results

We tested an off-the-shelf electrical power connector in a dusty environment and in a clean environment. It was assumed that the exposure to lunar simulant dust would result in a significantly shortened life span for the connector, but this was not observed. During mating and demating of both connectors through 5000 cycles, decreases were noted in both mating and demating loads. However, the electrical resistance of the connectors did not change significantly—neither connector had a resistance change of more than 0.02 Ω. Although it seems from the results of this test that lunar dust may not be a grave concern for electrical connectors, more testing is required. This test was not performed in a representative environment, nor are we certain that the mechanical properties of the simulant represent the worst-possible properties of all lunar soils. We still need to learn more about what to expect when we arrive at the lunar surface with electrical equipment.