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UCF — Ejecta STORM Lunar Plume Instrument

Type: Academia (UCF Florida Space Institute / CLASS Center)
FO Project: 106706 — Maturing Ejecta STORM for Lunar Delivery
Period: 2020-07-01 – 2023-12-31
TRL: 4 → 6
PI: Philip T. Metzger (UCF/Florida Space Institute, former KSC)
Co-Is: Adrienne Dove (UCF), Tristan Cembrinski (UCF)
TX: TX09.4.4 — Atmosphere Characterization (ML: TX09.4.5 Integrated Modeling and Simulation for EDL)
Views: 2,799
Outcome Category: Foundational Science → Commercial Successor (Truventic EjectaBLAST)
Downstream $: $0 direct (UCF academic); see Truventic EjectaBLAST for commercial path
Last updated: Session 100, 2026-04-07

What Was Tested

Ejecta STORM (Ejecta Sheet Tracking, Opacity and Regolith Maturity) is a 4-laser instrument that measures the density and sizes of particles in simulated lunar landing plumes. When a rocket-powered lander touches down on the Moon, the exhaust plume kicks up regolith particles at high speed — erosion and damage from these ejecta can destroy nearby hardware and reduce the scientific value of the landing surface.

The problem: Particle size distributions in lunar ejecta have never been accurately measured in situ. Current estimates depend heavily on assumptions and theoretical models. Knowledge of particle sizes and velocities is critical for Artemis landing pad design, Gateway proximity operations, and CLPS lander safety.

How it works: Four lasers at different wavelengths illuminate the ejecta cloud. Cameras image the scattered light. By analyzing laser beam propagation decay constants at multiple wavelengths, the instrument derives particle size distributions using Mie scattering theory. The multi-wavelength approach allows differentiation of particle sizes across orders of magnitude.

FO flights: 1. Masten Xaero (Oct 2021): Initial tethered test flights at Masten's Mojave Desert facility (pre-bankruptcy). Ejecta STORM operated successfully during simulated lunar landings. 2. Astrobotic Xodiac (Oct 2023): 4 successful flights at Astrobotic's Mojave facility. This was Xodiac's first commercial customer campaign under the Astrobotic banner (Astrobotic acquired Masten assets in Sept 2022). Ejecta STORM laser beams clearly visible in all four colors in flight video data.

PI: Philip Metzger

Metzger is one of the leading experts on lunar plume-surface interactions (PSI). Key background: - Former KSC physicist — spent 30 years at Kennedy Space Center before joining UCF - UCF Florida Space Institute planetary scientist - CLASS (Center for Lunar & Asteroid Surface Science) Planetary Landing Team co-lead - Prolific publisher: 100+ publications on lunar regolith, ISRU, plume dynamics, space mining economics - Advocate for lunar ISRU and mining rights — has published economic analyses of space resource utilization - Concept originator of Ejecta STORM (~2011), developed over a decade from idea to flight-validated instrument

Publications

  1. MDPI Aerospace 2024: "Instrument to Study Plume Surface Interactions (PSI) on the Lunar Surface: Science Motivation, Requirements, Instrument Overview, and Test Plans" (Aerospace 2024, 11(6), 439; DOI: 10.3390/aerospace11060439) — the definitive peer-reviewed paper on the PSI instrument suite
  2. SPIE 2023: "Laser particle sizer for lunar plume-surface interaction studies" (Proceedings 12537, 2023; DOI: 10.1117/12.2663930)
  3. LPSC 2021: Poster — "Measuring Plume Effects of Lunar Landing and Launch: Ejecta Sheet Tracking, Opacity and Regolith Maturity"

Downstream Impact

Commercial Successor: Truventic EjectaBLAST [158364]

The Ejecta STORM technology is being commercialized through Truventic LLC (Orlando, FL), founded by UCF physicist Robert E. Peale. Truventic's EjectaBLAST (Ejecta Backscattered Laser Albedo and Sizing Tracker) is a more advanced version using the same multi-wavelength laser scattering approach, designed for integration on operational lunar landers.

  • FO project: 158364 — active, Feb 2024 – Apr 2026 (ending this month)
  • PI: Chris Fredricksen; Co-I: Robert E. Peale (Truventic founder)
  • TRL target: 4 → 6
  • See Truventic EjectaBLAST for full investigation

This is a clean academic research → commercial spinoff pathway: UCF validates the science through FO flights; Truventic (UCF-affiliated startup) builds the flight instrument for CLPS/Artemis deployment.

PIE Instrument (Planned CLPS Flight)

PIE (Particle Impact Event) is a related instrument anticipated to fly on a small-class CLPS lander. The Ejecta STORM / EjectaBLAST data feeds the design and calibration of PIE. Together, these instruments form a multi-generation measurement suite for lunar PSI.

Foundational Science for Artemis

Ejecta STORM data directly informs: - Artemis landing pad design standards — how far away must hardware be from a landing site? - CLPS lander safety requirements — plume erosion effects on nearby payloads - Gateway proximity operations — contamination from visiting vehicles - Lunar ISRU site selection — understanding regolith mobilization during landing

Connection to ExoCam

Zandef Deksit's ExoCam (106700) addresses the same lunar plume-surface interaction problem from a different angle — ExoCam provides visual imaging of the landing plume (360° video), while Ejecta STORM provides quantitative particle sizing. Both were tested on the same Masten Xaero/Xodiac platform. Conceptually complementary: ExoCam shows what the plume looks like; Ejecta STORM measures what's in it.

Assessment

Archetype: Foundational Science (Archetype 13) → Commercial Successor.

Signal strength: High. Ejecta STORM occupies a critical position in the lunar PSI measurement pipeline. The instrument has been flight-tested twice (Masten 2021, Astrobotic 2023), published in peer-reviewed journals, and spawned a commercial successor (Truventic EjectaBLAST). Metzger is one of the most cited researchers in the lunar PSI field. The science is directly actionable for Artemis program decisions.

What FO provided: Parabolic and VTVL flight environments that produce realistic plume-regolith interactions. Ground labs can simulate individual particles but not the full plume dynamics. FO flight tests on Xaero/Xodiac provided the closest terrestrial analogue to lunar landing conditions.

Open threads: - Does Truventic's EjectaBLAST secure a CLPS lander slot? FO project ending Apr 2026 - Will PIE fly on a CLPS mission? No selection announced - Metzger's broader CLASS research program — other PSI instruments in development?

Verification

  • Sample size: 1 FO project; 2 flight test campaigns (Masten 2021, Astrobotic 2023); 3 publications; 1 commercial successor
  • Queries: techport_get_project [106706]; USASpending (no direct UCF awards found for Ejecta STORM); web search Metzger UCF Ejecta STORM
  • Evidence: TechPort record; Astrobotic press release (Oct 2023); MDPI Aerospace 2024 paper (DOI: 10.3390/aerospace11060439); SPIE 2023 paper; UCF News article
  • Counter-query: Did Ejecta STORM data actually change any Artemis design decisions? Not confirmed — the instrument provides foundational data, but specific design impacts are not publicly attributed. The science is necessary but attribution to design decisions is diffuse.
  • Confidence: Confirmed (flight tests, publications, commercial successor). Impact on Artemis design standards is suggestive.

Cross-References