Lunar Dust

Plugin: dsp_lunardust
Author: Tom Smith

Description:

The Lunar Dust plugin simulates lunar dust effects in EDGE during Altair landing sims. The plugin uses LSAM_STATE to store the state of the lander, and also requires LSAM_Plume. Dust is blasted from the lunar surface at a point below the engine bell, and propagates outward ballistically at a configurable angle and velocity. The Kepler plugin is required for this plugin.

Parameters:

| * -saturated_thrust | Thrust level at which ejected lunar dust is initially opaque. | || | * -dust_velocity | Initial ejected velocity of the dust (default is 1km/sec). | | * -dust_angle | Dust ejection angle above the horizon in degrees (default is 5 degrees). | | |

• LSAM_STATE.x - 1: ascent stage, 2: descent stage

• LSAM_STATE.y - Thrust level from sim (Newtons)

• LSAM_STATE.P - Lunar dust density modifier

• KEPLER_ORIGIN.parent - must be set to MOON_BODY_REF

Usage:

The Lunar Dust plugin is driven from the LSAM_STATE node. LSAM_Plume is required to configure LSAM_STATE. Dust is ejected below the plume. It is assumed that eroding of the surface will occur, causing a small depression in the lunar surface. Dust will be blown up the slope of the depression which is assumed to be around 5 degrees and at a velocity of 1km/sec based on technical reports released during the Apollo program. The saturated_thrust level is used to set the amount of thrust required to make the ejected dust opaque. Reports show that at about 20–25 ft above the lunar surface the surface is completely obscured by dust. This happens at 20000 - 30000 N. The density of the ejected dust decreases at 1/r^2 from the ejection point.