TY - JOUR
T1 - Geotechnical properties of GRC-3 lunar simulant
AU - He, Chunmei
AU - Zeng, Xiangwu
AU - Wilkinson, Allen
PY - 2013/7/1
Y1 - 2013/7/1
N2 - Geotechnical properties of the lunar regolith are critical parameters in the design of equipment for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon. It is imperative to simulate the geotechnical behavior of the lunar soil properly in the development of such equipment. Soil strength depends on the preparation method as well as the properties of the granular raw material. To execute the many small- and large-scale equipment tests planned for ISRU, it is necessary to develop a simulant that is inexpensive and can be produced in large quantities. This paper presents the methodology behind developing such a lunar-like geotechnical soil, GRC-3, and compares the properties of this soil with those of lunar regolith. The results show that particle size distribution, specific gravity, bulk density, and shear strength parameters for several preparation protocols are similar to that of lunar soil. Therefore, GRC-3 can be used in future large-scale experiments to predict the performance of ISRU equipment on the Moon.
AB - Geotechnical properties of the lunar regolith are critical parameters in the design of equipment for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon. It is imperative to simulate the geotechnical behavior of the lunar soil properly in the development of such equipment. Soil strength depends on the preparation method as well as the properties of the granular raw material. To execute the many small- and large-scale equipment tests planned for ISRU, it is necessary to develop a simulant that is inexpensive and can be produced in large quantities. This paper presents the methodology behind developing such a lunar-like geotechnical soil, GRC-3, and compares the properties of this soil with those of lunar regolith. The results show that particle size distribution, specific gravity, bulk density, and shear strength parameters for several preparation protocols are similar to that of lunar soil. Therefore, GRC-3 can be used in future large-scale experiments to predict the performance of ISRU equipment on the Moon.
KW - Exploration
KW - Geotechnical
KW - Lunar simulant
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U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000162
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000162
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84879484878
SN - 0893-1321
VL - 26
SP - 528
EP - 534
JO - Journal of Aerospace Engineering
JF - Journal of Aerospace Engineering
IS - 3
ER -