NASA had selected Synopsys and EMA to verify spacesuit compatibility with the lunar environment in its Artemis program. The effort is focusing on reducing risks to extravehicular activity (EVA) systems, specifically spacesuits, caused by both triboelectrification from lunar regolith interactions, and electrical charging and electrostatic discharge (ESD) from the space plasma environment. Analyzing charging levels that the complex, multi-layer Artemis spacesuits may experience on the moon is a key consideration for sustained lunar surface operations, because ESD events can damage mission-critical electronics needed for communications and life support.
EMA and Synopsys apply and develop physics-based analysis workflows using Ansys Charge Plus, a software simulation tool for electromagnetic charging and discharging, to evaluate spacesuit materials, layered stack-ups, and representative suit features across relevant lunar plasma conditions. Charge Plus is currently the only commercially available software capable of computing these types of space-charging problems in full 3D due to its ability to model the coupled physics governing plasma interaction, surface charging, charge transport, and ESD in complex, multi-material systems.
The program also includes a collaborative effort with Cesium, part of Bentley Systems, and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, to validate cellular system performance on the lunar surface using digital twin technology.
Cesium integrated 3D spatial and true-to-reality Moon topography data into Synopsys’ digital mission engineering environment, where radio frequency (RF) signal propagation performance is analyzed using Ansys RF Channel Modeler software. Ansys HFSS simulation software is also included in the technology stack for high-fidelity antenna models installed on spacesuits and rovers, providing insight into end-to-end connectivity across the lunar surface.
“To build a lunar network, you must first build a digital moon. Cesium’s high-fidelity digital twin provides a virtual stage to test how communication signals perform against complex lunar topography, validating network reliability and ensuring mission-critical connectivity before hardware is deployed,” said Patrick Cozzi, chief platform officer, Bentley Systems.
