Large amounts of dust collected on astronauts' space suits during excursions to the lunar surface. The dust, if deposited in the Lunar Module, threatened to contaminate the cabin's environmental control system. Following the Apollo 12 mission, astronaut Alan Bean noted that they had lacked a means to remove the dust from their suits prior to entering the Lunar Module. Subsequent missions were equipped with these large brushes, which were used prior to LM cabin ingress.
This is a training item, and was not flown. It was transferred from NASA to the Smithsonian in 1979.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.