The Blue Gust Lunar apparatus activates its space vacuum cleaner and started collecting regolite (video)

The Blue Gust lunar apparatus activated its space vacuum cleaner and began to collect regolite. For this, the Planet VAC device is used, which shoots a stream of gas to the surface, with the discarded dust enters a special container.

These samples will not return to Earth, as the Chinese Chang'E-6 mission did, delivered to Earth 2 kg samples on the back of the moon.

The goal is to prove that this concept works. The ambition of technology is to be part of a Japanese space mission to the Mars satellite, Phobos, which will try to deliver samples on Earth in 2031. By studying them, scientists hope to understand more about the origin of the satellite and the history of the Red Planet.

By comparison, the Athens Robot of Intuitive Machines, which is successful yesterday, uses another technology for sampling – it has a drilling machine that will try to reach the ice under the moon's surface.