CAS-1 lunar soil simulant

Lunar soil simulant is a geochemical reproduction of lunar regolith, and is needed for lunar science and engineering researches. This paper describes a new lunar soil simulant, CAS-1, prepared by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to support lunar orbiter, soft-landing mission and sample return missions of China’s Lunar Exploration Program, which is scheduled for 2004–2020. Such simulants should match the samples returned from the Moon, all collected from the lunar regolith rather than outcrops. The average mineral and chemical composition of lunar soil sample returned from the Apollo 14 mission, which landed on the Fra Mauro Formation, is chosen as the model for the CAS-1 simulant. Source material for this simulant was a low-Ti basaltic scoria dated at 1600 years from the late Quaternary volcanic area in the Changbai Mountains of northeast China. The main minerals of this rock are pyroxene, olivine, and minor plagioclase, and about 20–40% modal glass. The scoria was analyzed by XRF and found to be chemically similar to Apollo 14 lunar sample 14163. It was crushed in an impact mill with a resulting median particle size 85.9 μm, similar to Apollo soils. Bulk density, shear resistance, complex permittivity, and reflectance spectra were also similar to Apollo 14 soil. We conclude that CAS-1 is an ideal lunar soil simulant for science and engineering research of future lunar exploration program.     

考虑相互碰撞影响的月壤颗粒运动轨迹计算方法研究

针对登月着陆器下降过程扬起月壤颗粒的运动轨迹及空间分布问题, 提出了考虑月壤颗粒发生完全弹性碰撞和非完全弹性碰撞两种情况的月壤颗粒运动轨迹计算方法. 根据质量守恒和能量守恒定律确定月壤颗粒相互碰撞后的速度, 通过羽流场与月壤颗粒的流固耦合相互迭代计算方法, 获得被扬起的月壤颗粒在羽流场和相互碰撞共同作用下随时间的运动轨迹和空间分布. 基于美国Apollo 11登月过程实测数据, 采用数值模拟对该方法进行验证. 结果表明, 考虑月壤颗粒相互碰撞的影响后, 其运动规律出现较明显的扩散趋势. 进一步考虑月壤颗粒相互碰撞引起能量损失的影响后, 月壤颗粒的扩散趋势有所减弱, 并且扬起的高度随着恢复系数的减小而降低.      

Upwards migration phenomenon on molten lunar regolith: New challenges and prospects for ISRU

As part of our research on the feasibility of producing commodities from lunar regolith by thermal-driven processes with minimal terrestrial precursors we need to characterize, reproduce, and understand thermophysical properties of the molten regolith still unforeseen under the lunar vacuum conditions at a scalable sample size. Two unanticipated phenomena, apparently caused by lunar melt’s surface tension under vacuum, have been revealed in our research work, vacuum void formation and upwards migration. In this paper we present our findings and thinkable explanation on the upwards migration phenomenon experimentally observed and consistently replicated as JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant melted at high vacuum. Upwards migration of molten lunar regolith will make future lunar ISRU’s melting processes both challenging as molten bulk material would migrate upwards along the container’s walls, and also promising on new opportunities for alternative ISRU’s sustainable processes as regolith’s upwards migration takes place in uniformed thin-film pattern. Among the potential ISRU’s processes that might use controlled thermal thin-film-based migration without the necessity of terrestrial precursors are production of feedstock for 3D printing, fractional separation of regolith’s component’s (O₂, metals, and alloys) via pyrolysis, film coating, purification of valuables solid crystals including silicon, and fabrication of key elements for microfluidic, and MEMS devices. Thermal upwards migration phenomenon on JSC-1A’s melt is formulated and explained by the authors as due to thermal Marangoni effect (also known as thermo-capillarity) in which temperature gradients within the melt’s bulk and along the crucible’s wall yield the surface tension large enough to supersede the gravitational force and yield the experimentally observed upwards thin-film migration. As far as the authors know, upwards thermal migration of molten JSC-1A (or other lunar simulant regolith) under vacuum has not been reported in the literature. A thermal mathematical model accounting for thermal Marangoni effect on molten JSC-1A agrees with what experimentally was observed, the formation of the meniscus on the melt-wall surface interface along with an incipient upwards migration in thin-film pattern along the crucible wall that, according to the model, experiences large temperature gradient, an important factor to trigger the thermal Marangoni effect along with the fact that surface tension of the molten lunar regolith material is temperature dependent.     

A flow sheet for the conversion of lunar regolith using fluorine gas

This work reviews and expands upon the previous fluorination processes for in situ production of oxygen and silicon from lunar regolith. The process units were simulated and a flow sheet was developed to determine the product distribution and energy requirements. Our results show that 0.21 kg silicon and 0.32 kg oxygen can be produced per kg regolith processed with a total cooling duty of 17 MJ/kg regolith and electrical duty of 29 MJ/kg regolith. The payload mass required for the process is estimated as 16 kg/kg regolith processed per day.     

三层月壤模型的多通道微波辐射模拟与月壤厚度的反演

由月球表面数字高程试验性地构造了整个月球表面月壤厚度的分布.根据Clementine探月卫星的紫外-可见光光学数据,计算了整个月球表面月壤中FeO+TiO2含量分布,给出了整个月球表面月壤介电常数分布.由月球表层温度的观测结果以及月壤的导热特性,给出了月尘层与月壤层温度随纬度分布的经验公式.在这些条件的基础上,建立了月尘、月壤、月岩三层微波热辐射模型.由起伏逸散定理,模拟计算了该月球模型多通道辐射亮度温度.然后,以此辐射亮度温度模拟加随机噪声为理论观测值,按三层模型提出了月壤层厚度反演方法.由于高频通道穿透深度小,由高频通道的辐射亮度温度按照两层月尘-月壤微波热辐射模型反演月尘层与月壤层的物理温度,再由穿透深度较大的低频通道辐射亮度温度反演月壤层厚度.对于反演的相对误差也进行了讨论.      

Modifications of Martian ice-saturated regolith due to meteoroid impact

The possibility of water ice in the Martian subsurface regolith continues to present an intriguing enigma. We submit that any exo-martian source of energy, i.e. meteorite, asteroid or cometary impact, must disturb the equilibrium within the regolith surrounding an impact site. We farther propose impactors with the size range of 100 m and larger with velocities of 10 km s⁻¹ are effective in causing significant temperature increases in the regolith and subsequent ice melting. We present our studies of the crater formation within Martian surface layers that presumably are a solid mixture of regolith and water ice. Mass ratio of rocks to ice, as well as the thermal gradient in the crust, are the parameters. We have completed numerical simulations of a cratering event by means of two-dimensional, axialsymmetric hydrocodes involving a free particles' method in order to provide a simulation of an impact cratering. A fraction of subsurface ice melts and the crater partially forms from mud-like material. Comparison of a calculated crater and observed Martian crater is presented. The simplified analytical estimates concerning melting of ground ice in the regolith surrounding a Martian impact crater are presented.     

Development of the heat flow measurement system by the LUNAR-A penetrators

Lunar heat flow experiment is planned by using two LUNAR-A penetrators which will be deployed on the near-side and far-side of the lunar surface in 2000. Each penetrator has seven absolute and eleven relative temperature sensors. Impact experiments for real-size penetrator models onto a lunar-regolith analogue target confirmed that the sensors and electronics used in the Lunar-A Heat Flow Experiment can survive the shock loading expected during penetration of the penetrator in a lunar regolith. The calibration experiment demonstrates that the temperature sensors have a resolution of 0.01 degrees and that the thermal conductivity device have 10 % accuracy. In order to determine the heat flow value, we need a good thermal model and numerical simulation for the penetrator and the regolith which in turn requires accurate measurements of thermal properties of the penetrator's components. The current numerical models indicate that we will be able to obtain the lunar heat flow values within 20 to 30 percents in precision with this method.     

Use of lunar regolith as a substrate for plant growth.

Regenerative Life Support Systems (RLSS) will be required to regenerate air, water, and wastes, and to produce food for human consumption during long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. It may be possible to supplement some of the materials needed for a lunar RLSS from resources on the Moon. Natural materials at the lunar surface may be used for a variety of lunar RLSS needs, including (i) soils or solid-support substrates for plant growth, (ii) sources for extraction of essential, plant-growth nutrients, (iii) substrates for microbial populations in the degradation of wastes, (iv) sources of O2 and H2, which may be used to manufacture water, (v) feed stock materials for the synthesis of useful minerals (e.g., molecular sieves), and (vi) shielding materials surrounding the outpost structure to protect humans, plants, and microorganisms from harmful radiation. Use of indigenous lunar regolith as a terrestrial-like soil for plant growth could offer a solid support substrate, buffering capacity, nutrient source/storage/retention capabilities, and should be relatively easy to maintain. The lunar regolith could, with a suitable microbial population, play a role in waste renovation; much like terrestrial waste application directly on soils. Issues associated with potentially toxic elements, pH, nutrient availability, air and fluid movement parameters, and cation exchange capacity of lunar regolith need to be addressed before lunar materials can be used effectively as soils for plant growth.     

月壤剖面冲击贯入式探测方案研究

以月壤剖面的原位探测为目标,提出一种利用土体结构侵彻原理的冲击式贯入器设计方案。重点阐述了冲击式贯入器的工作原理和机构实现方案,并开展多方案设计与分析。研制了原理样机并开展实验验证,证明利用冲击式贯入方法实现月壤剖面自动潜入的可行性,并对我国未来开展月壤剖面原位探测提出了相关建议。     

模拟月壤铺粉过程DEM数值仿真

空基激光选区熔化（SLM）技术与原位资源利用（ISRU）概念结合,有望解决地外大规模基地建设的工程难题。SLM铺粉过程对成形件性能和质量有重要影响。基于非球形粒子叠加球模型方法,建立模拟月壤颗粒几何模型;基于线性弹簧-阻尼接触作用模型、Hamaker理论及牛顿运动定律,建立颗粒动力学模型;采用三维离散单元方法（DEM）及软球模型,进行不同工况下模拟月壤在铺粉过程中的流变特性研究。结果显示:所提模型和方法能开展指定工况和环境参数的模拟月壤颗粒系统流动性和堆积行为数值仿真研究;月面低重力环境导致粉床表面粗糙度变大、堆积密度和平均配位数变小;通过降低铺粉速度和优化刮刀型面,可以有效改善月基铺粉的粉床质量,获得更密实和均匀的粉床结构。      

Moon surface radiation environment analysis for February 1956 solar event conditions

The radiation environment on the surface of the Moon presents a new source of particles resulting from the interaction of incoming solar protons and galactic cosmic rays with the lunar regolith. Here we present a study of the fluence profile of primary and secondary particles on the top 1 m layer of lunar regolith for the spectrum of one of the hardest spectrum solar event, that of February 1956. Different regolith compositions and their influence in proton and neutron production and backscattering is considered, as well as the nature of the backscattered radiation. Simple geometry Monte Carlo simulations have been used also for calculating regolith shielding properties, and it is shown that a layer of at least 50 cm regolith is needed for significantly reducing the dose levels received by astronauts in a hypothetical lunar habitat.     

地外天体潜入式探测典型案例分析及展望

针对地外天体星壤剖面的潜入式探测任务,对星球表面热场、星壤剖面原位力学特性等科学目标探测的基本原理、实现方案和典型案例进行了资料调研与分析,并阐明了国际上开展地外天体星壤剖面潜入式探测活动的目的和科学意义。在此基础上,提出了我国月面采样科学目标拓展方案以及我国开展潜入式探测的预先研究规划,对蠕动掘进和冲击贯入式探测方案的基本原理和应用前景进行了分析。     

月球着陆器软着陆冲击仿真

为提高分析月球着陆器软着陆有效载荷着陆冲击响应的准确性,提出一种基于瞬态动力学的着陆器有效载荷软着陆冲击响应分析方法.根据着陆器全机结构柔性和月壤柔性对有效载荷着陆冲击响应的影响,参照某型着陆器,于MSC.PATRAN环境中建立着陆器全机柔性体模型及月壤柔性体模型,运用瞬态动力学仿真软件MSC.DYTRAN对着陆器软着陆有效载荷着陆冲击响应特性进行了仿真研究.仿真结果与试验结果具有一定的一致性.研究结果表明:使用该方法分析着陆器软着陆有效载荷的着陆冲击响应是准确有效的,能够比较逼真地模拟月球着陆器实际着陆工况.     

Production of high fidelity lunar agglutinate simulant

As space faring nations consider manned and unmanned missions to the Moon, there is a growing need to develop high fidelity lunar regolith simulants that can accurately reproduce the properties and behavior of lunar regolith. Such simulants will be employed to verify the performance of equipment, mechanisms, structures and processes to be used on the lunar surface. One of the significant limitations of current terrestrial-based simulants, such as the popular mare simulant, JSC-1A, is the lack of agglutinates. This paper investigates the production of a lunar mare agglutinate simulant based on JSC-1A. A modified plasma processing technique was used to expose the JSC-1A regolith simulant to high temperatures and transform it to predominantly a glassy phase. Detailed characterization results are presented to confirm that the agglutinate simulant material produced during this investigation reasonably satisfies the primary requirements of an agglutinate simulant such as amorphous/crystalline content, particle size, morphology, vesicular structure, chemistry, and presence of nanophase elemental Fe.     

Development of thermal sensors and drilling systems for lunar and planetary regoliths

We consider some novel concepts for thermal properties experiments aboard lunar landers or rovers, that may lead to an improved understanding of both the structure of the lunar near surface layers and the lunar thermal history. The new instruments could be developed using the experience and heritage from recently developed systems, like the Rosetta Lander thermal conductivity experiment MUPUS and existing designs used for terrestrial measurements of thermal conductivity. We describe shortly the working principle of such sensors and the main challenges faced when using them in the airless regolith layers of the Moon or other airless bodies. In addition new concepts to create appropriate drill holes for thermal and other measurements in the lunar regolith are discussed.     

Mechanical behavior of the metal parts welded with extraterrestrial regolith simulant by the solar concentrator in ISRU & ISRF application

The use of in-situ resources plays an important role on future extraterrestrial human activities for the facility repair and habitat construction, especially in sustainable space exploration of Moon and Mars. A method of the metal welded with extraterrestrial regolith simulant using solar processing under ambient conditions is presented. Metal parts are made of Q235B ferroalloy and TA2 titanium alloy into standard tensile members according to the ASTM code. They are disconnected from the middle in advance, and then welded together with lunar and Martian regolith simulant under ambient conditions, respectively. The entire welding process and precautions are detailed. Additionally, the mechanical behavior of weldments is characterized regarding their tensile strength. Furthermore, the fusion zone of weldments is studied by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The results show that it is possible to weld metal parts together with extraterrestrial regolith simulant by the solar concentrator. The average ultimate tensile strength of ferroalloy specimens welded with lunar and Martian regolith simulant is 2.94 MPa and 1.66 MPa; The average ultimate tensile strength of titanium alloy specimens welded with lunar and Martian regolith simulant is 4.95 MPa and 2.59 MPa. Moreover, the failure mode of all weldments was brittle failure. The welding joints strength derives from the phases that the regolith as the solder fusing into ferroalloys in a homogeneous way and titanium alloys in an inhomogeneous way. The presented method may provide a new thought for astronaut assistance associating with repairing and fabricating in subsequent Moon and Mars missions.     

A facility for simulating Titan’s environment

As a result of measurements acquired by the Cassini–Huygens mission of Titan’s near surface atmospheric composition and temperature, Titan conditions can now be simulated in the laboratory and samples can subsequently be subjected to those conditions. Titan demonstrates an active hydrological-like cycle with its thick atmosphere, dynamic clouds, polar lakes of methane and ethane, moist regolith, and extensive fluvial erosive features. Unlike Earth, Titan’s hydrological-like cycle likely involves several constituents, primarily methane and ethane. Here the properties of a new Titan simulation facility are presented, including conceptual methodology, design, implementation, and performance results. The chamber maintains Titan’s surface temperature and pressure, and the sample cryogenic liquids undergoing experimentation are condensed within the chamber itself. During the experiments, the evaporation rates of the sample liquids are directly determined by continually measuring mass. Constituents are analyzed utilizing a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and vapor concentrations are determined using a gas chromatograph fitted with a Flame Ionization Detector (FID). All pertinent data is logged via computer. Under laboratory conditions, the direct measurements of the evaporation rates of methane, ethane, and mixtures thereof can be achieved. Among the processes to be studied are the effects of regolith on transport from the subsurface to the atmosphere, the freezing point depression effects of dissolved nitrogen, and the solubility of various relevant organic compounds.     

Modeling gravity effects on water retention and gas transport characteristics in plant growth substrates

Growing plants to facilitate life in outer space, for example on the International Space Station (ISS) or at planned deep-space human outposts on the Moon or Mars, has received much attention with regard to NASA’s advanced life support system research. With the objective of in situ resource utilization to conserve energy and to limit transport costs, native materials mined on Moon or Mars are of primary interest for plant growth media in a future outpost, while terrestrial porous substrates with optimal growth media characteristics will be useful for onboard plant growth during space missions. Due to limited experimental opportunities and prohibitive costs, liquid and gas behavior in porous substrates under reduced gravity conditions has been less studied and hence remains poorly understood. Based on ground-based measurements, this study examined water retention, oxygen diffusivity and air permeability characteristics of six plant growth substrates for potential applications in space, including two terrestrial analogs for lunar and Martian soils and four particulate substrates widely used in reduced gravity experiments. To simulate reduced gravity water characteristics, the predictions for ground-based measurements (1 − g) were scaled to two reduced gravity conditions, Martian gravity (0.38 − g) and lunar gravity (0.16 − g), following the observations in previous reduced gravity studies. We described the observed gas diffusivity with a recently developed model combined with a new approach that estimates the gas percolation threshold based on the pore size distribution. The model successfully captured measured data for all investigated media and demonstrated the implications of the poorly-understood shift in gas percolation threshold with improved gas percolation in reduced gravity. Finally, using a substrate-structure parameter related to the gaseous phase, we adequately described the air permeability under reduced gravity conditions.     

Mercury: can any ice exist at subpolar regions?

The heat transfer in a regolith subsurface layer of thickness 20 m has been theoretically simulated for the areas near Mercury's north pole aiming at the clarification of the possible existence of subsurface ice formations of different form. The paper considers different models of the icy regolith structure and composition: pure uniform amorphous ice; a porous dispersive system with ice-filled pores and voids; permafrost. For comparison the heat transfer in dry iceless regolith has been considered as well. It has been shown that the line of maximum distribution of subsurface icy formations depends on the icy regolith model, but for any one in the “hot” regions it does not go below 70°. For the “cool” regions this line has been shown to go from 5° to 10° southward than that for the “hot” ones. The possible thickness of icy regolith near the pole has been estimated for different models assuming an interior heat flow of 15 mW m⁻². It has been shown that the maximum thickness of this layer takes place at the pole and is equal to 10 km for any model.     

Investigating the soil removal characteristics of flexible tube coring method for lunar exploration

Compared with other technical solutions, sampling the planetary soil and returning it back to Earth may be the most direct method to seek the evidence of extraterrestrial life. To keep sample’s stratification for further analyzing, a novel sampling method called flexible tube coring has been adopted for China future lunar explorations. Given the uncertain physical properties of lunar regolith, proper drilling parameters should be adjusted immediately in piercing process. Otherwise, only a small amount of core could be sampled and overload drilling faults could occur correspondingly. Due to the fact that the removed soil is inevitably connected with the cored soil, soil removal characteristics may have a great influence on both drilling loads and coring results. To comprehend the soil removal characteristics, a non-contact measurement was proposed and verified to acquire the coring and removal results accurately. Herein, further more experiments in one homogenous lunar regolith simulant were conducted, revealing that there exists a sudden core failure during the sampling process and the final coring results are determined by the penetration per revolution index. Due to the core failure, both drilling loads and soil’s removal states are also affected thereby.