Perseverance Rover Tests Spacesuit Fabric Against Martian Dust, Finds Gentler but Finer Threat
NASA's Perseverance rover has been carrying small swatches of spacesuit material across the Martian surface to measure how the planet's pervasive dust might damage equipment and threaten future astronauts. A new study finds Martian dust is less abrasive than lunar dust but poses hazards of its own, including ultrafine particles and toxic compounds. Planners of future Mars missions have strong reasons to account for dust. On the Apollo missions, which were far shorter than any potential Mars vis
OST Staff · November 1, 2026
NASA's Perseverance rover has been carrying small swatches of spacesuit material across the Martian surface to measure how the planet's pervasive dust might damage equipment and threaten future astronauts. A new study finds Martian dust is less abrasive than lunar dust but poses hazards of its own, including ultrafine particles and toxic compounds.
Planners of future Mars missions have strong reasons to account for dust. On the Apollo missions, which were far shorter than any potential Mars visit, lunar dust scratched visors and degraded spacesuits. When astronauts returned to the lunar module, particles clinging to their suits contaminated the cabin air and entered their lungs, causing hay fever like symptoms in some cases.
The findings appear in a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scott VanBommel, a research assistant professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences in WashU Arts and Sciences, is lead author. Co-authors include Abigail Knight, a staff scientist who helped conceptualize and conduct the analysis as a Ph.D. student. Both are fellows of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences. The study examined how dust interacts with Perseverance's spacesuit swatches, each less than a square inch, or 6.5 square centimeters, in size, along with other materials including Teflon.
The swatches showed little visible wear after 1,645 Martian days. Closer inspection found that particles on Mars were much smoother than the jagged grains on the moon, suggesting they may be less likely to scratch equipment or irritate human lungs. "The particles in the Martian atmosphere have been blowing in the wind for potentially billions of years, so they tend to be well rounded, like pebbles in a river," VanBommel said.
The study also identified a different hazard. VanBommel developed a method to estimate the size of each particle, some measuring as small as 100 nanometers across, or one ten-thousandth of a millimeter. On Earth, ultrafine particles from smoke and other pollution can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Astronauts will not breathe the Martian atmosphere directly, but engineers will need to account for these microscopic hazards when designing habitats, spacesuits and air filters, VanBommel said. "The electrostatic properties of Martian dust are likely causing it to preferentially adhere to some surfaces," Knight said.
Data from Perseverance's PIXL instrument, the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry, allowed researchers to analyze the particles' chemical composition. Unlike lunar dust, the Martian material contains perchlorates and other potentially toxic compounds, and is enriched in sulfur, iron and silica. VanBommel said brief exposure may not seriously threaten astronauts, with much depending on dose and duration, but the presence of these substances adds another risk for mission planners.
According to the researchers, the rover missions serve as real-world tests of technology that could one day support human exploration, beyond their scientific discoveries. VanBommel said dust will be a challenge for future crews but one that can be prepared for and overcome, noting that rovers have operated continuously on the Martian surface for more than 20 years.
The study positions the spacesuit swatch findings as input for designing future habitats, spacesuits and air filtration systems for crewed Mars missions, with mission planners expected to weigh the dose and duration of astronaut exposure to the dust's toxic compounds.