Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
NASA engineers at the Glenn Research Center have introduced the Lunar Environment Structural Test Rig (LESTR), a device capable of testing materials, electronics, and flight hardware at temperatures as low as –388 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Kelvin) to simulate the extreme cold of space and the lunar night.
Unlike traditional cryogenic testing, which uses super-cold liquids such as nitrogen, helium, or hydrogen, LESTR operates entirely without liquid cryogens in a dry vacuum environment. Instead, it removes heat via a cryocooler—a high-powered refrigerator—establishing the first "dry" cryogenic test environment in mechanical testing.
This dry method eliminates the need for specialized handling equipment and safety systems related to liquid cryogen use, such as dewars, heaters, valves, and oxygen displacement sensors, reducing the time, cost, and complexity of testing.
According to Ariel Dimston, LESTR's technical lead, the technology enables safer, more affordable testing across a wider temperature range and is essential for ensuring materials can withstand extreme temperatures encountered in space missions, including NASA’s planned Moon base at the lunar South Pole.
The LESTR team has begun testing various materials, including yarns, to evaluate their performance under these extreme cold conditions, supporting NASA programs focused on future exploration.