Geotechnical properties of GRC-3 lunar simulant

Chunmei He, Xiangwu Zeng, Allen Wilkinson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)528-534
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume26
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2013

Keywords

  • Exploration
  • Geotechnical
  • Lunar simulant

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