Developing an Anorthositic Lunar Regolith Simulant

Abstract

We must increase our understanding of the regolith, as future human missions to both the Moon and Mars will rely on it for insitu resource utilization (ISRU) to produce fuel, water, and other life support and construction materials. ISRU will be more cost effective than shipping required materials from Earth. Because regolith will be the zone of contact for both human and robotic exploration, it is important that we learn how to work with it before returning to the Moon. There are no nat ural lunar regolith analogues on the Earth, and supplies of existing lunar simulants are currently limited or running out. To prepare for upcoming robotic ISRU missions, equipment must be tested on the Earth, in a good physical/mechanical simulant. To date, all major lunar simulants produced have been basalt based, however ~ 80% of the lunar bedrock - including some potential ISRU landing sites - is composed of anorthosite-norite-troctolite (ANT) suite rocks (Heiken et al., 1991). The goal of this study is to develop an anorthosite-based physical/mechanical lunar regolith simulant, to assist Electric Vehicle Controllers (EVC) Ltd. and the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) Inc. with lunar drilling and excavation equipment design.