Simulants in In-Situ Resource Utilization Technology Development

Abstract

Regolith, the surface material from terrestrial planetary bodies such as the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, is extremely expensive and rarely available for scientists and engineers to use when developing new technology. Different technologies work better in different materials, so since failure is not an option in space missions it is necessary to understand how a technology will behave in the materials it may encounter in space. To address this, planetary surface simulants have been developed to offer a low-cost alternative to planetary materials. They are made to reflect either physical, mineralogical, or chemical properties of lunar, Martian, and asteroidal rocks and regolith. A wide variety of regolith and volatile simulants have been used since the Apollo program that have differed based on the planetary body of interest, available material, and physical attribute tested. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology development requires simulant with geotechnical attributes unlike those required before. Interaction between regolith simulant and the test environment has also proven more important for ISRU technology development than for purely mechanical technology for exploration. This chapter examines the background of regolith simulant development for a variety of planetary bodies and the efficacy of the ways they have been used.