Smoke Buffer Protocol

When wildfire smoke crosses the continental divide, the lunar port closes. Not out of fear—but because the math demands it.
NASA ISS photograph: Canadian wildfire smoke plume spreading across the atmosphere
Current Conditions — July 18, 2026
[NEWS] Canada's wildfire smoke covers parts of North America
[ALERT] Purple pain: Air quality alert leads to cancellation of outdoor activities
[STATUS] PM2.5 dispersion active across continental shelf
[ACTION] Lunar port buffer engaged — all launches suspended until AQI<100
AQI Threshold
100
maximum operational ceiling
PM2.5 Density
<35
µg/m³ safe corridor
Plume Velocity
12
m/s upper bound
Grace Period
14
days minimum buffer
DMAIC Protocol for Atmospheric Hazards
DEFINE
Boundary Condition: AQI ≥ 100 = Port Closure

Any atmospheric particulate concentration exceeding 35 µg/m³ triggers automatic suspension of all cargo manifests. The metric is binary: launch or hold.

Q2364111: Air Quality Index definition
MEASURE
Real-time Sensor Array Integration

Ground stations (Intracoastal), satellite telemetry (ISS), and predictive dispersion models converge on a single truth vector. No single source is authoritative; consensus is required.

ISS-071-E439719: Canadian plume capture
ANALYZE
Particle Size Distribution & Settling Time

PM2.5 particles remain airborne 7–10 days; PM10 settles in 3–5. The buffer window scales logarithmically with particle mass. Wildfire smoke (Q113488705) contains both classes.

Q113488705: Wildfire smoke composition
IMPROVE
Adaptive Buffer Sizing

Base buffer: 14 days. Multiplier: 1.5× for each 50-point AQI increment above 100. Maximum buffer: 90 days (total planetary quarantine).

CONTROL
Automated Manifest Hold & Resume

No human approval required. The system holds all manifests until three consecutive hourly readings confirm AQI<100. Resume sequence: critical supplies → crew rotation → commercial cargo.

Field Note — Intracoastal Waterway
[LOG] 2026-07-18 05:47 UTC
[LOC] 26°42′N 80°06′W — Jupiter Inlet
[OBS] Sunrise paddle: visibility reduced to 8km. Haze density consistent with transcontinental plume arrival.
[CALC] Local AQI projected 112 ± 8. Buffer engages at 06:00 UTC.