| Abstract Scope |
The Moon is of great interest for human habitat, but the extreme vacuum, temperature fluctuations, cosmic radiation, and lunar regolith are challenging for human health and equipment operation. Regolith is not subject to erosion, as is the Earth’s soil bed, so the debris has sharp edges that are extremely abrasive. Spacesuits can be worn off, and parts such as visors, seals, axles, and bearings can be subject to premature failure. Thus, developing a coating that can overcome the attraction and dispel dust would be of paramount importance on the Moon. This study aims to develop a transparent, electrically conductive, diamond-like carbon coating focused on visors and windshields common for space helmets and vehicles. An alumina-doped diamond-like carbon coating was deposited onto fused silica substrates using pulsed laser deposition at increasing deposition temperatures and % dopant. The resulting film’s transparency, surface energy, surface roughness, electrical conductivity, and hardness will be presented. |