What engineering challenge does the material's tendency to cling pose for long-term habitats?
Answer
Compromising seals and sensitive instruments.
The fine, clingy nature of lunar regolith presents a serious operational risk to closed environments like long-term lunar habitats. Because the abrasive and statically charged particles adhere tenaciously to surfaces, they can infiltrate areas they shouldn't, specifically compromising the integrity of seals around doors and airlocks, and causing mechanical wear or jamming in sensitive instruments that require precise clearances to operate correctly.
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