Lunar Regolith Simulants
Lunar Regolith Simulants
Lunar samples brought to Earth by the Apollo Program have a very limited availability for use in testing technologies and hardware/system(s) (
https://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/index.cfm). While recovered meteorites (including lunar and martian meteorites) are another supply of extraterrestrial materials, these too are in limited supply. Thus, planetary surface simulants have been developed to reflect either physical, mineralogical, or chemical properties of lunar, martian, and asteroid rocks and regolith.
[1][2]
These simulants are created from geologic material collected on Earth that best replicate the petrology, mineralogy, and chemistry of the different planetary destinations. Various types of glass have also been included in simulants to mimic the impact-generated glass and volcanic glass components on planetary surfaces. Therefore, there is likely no single simulant that will fulfill all testing, physical, and compositional needs and a judicious choice of simulants for testing is needed. Additionally, some simulants are themselves in limited supply or not in production at all anymore. For additional details on lunar highlands and mare regolith and simulant, refer to the Lunar Sourcebook (Heiken et al., 1991)
[3], Taylor et al. (2016)
[1], Sibille et al. (2006)
[4], and the Design Specification for Natural Environments (DSNE, SLS-SPEC-159)
[5].
Safety and Health
Safety and Health
Simulant use and testing are subject to standard workplace controls to ensure that they are safe for users, observers and facility occupants. NASA uses the NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls (Elimination, Substitution, Administrative and Personnel Protective Equipment, PPE) to prevent exposure to hazardous components of Simulants. Specific mineral components, such as Crystalline Silica, may be subject to OSHA substance specific standard requirements depending on activity and exposure levels. Refer to simulant safety data sheets, and ensure that appropriate chamber sealing, venting, and PPE use are implemented. Safety data sheets are included on the individual simulant pages. Consult with your local Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene and Safety personnel for appropriate requirements and how to best handle simulants for your specific needs.
Recommendations
Recommendations
Simulant recommendations are based on the type of testing or purpose of work and the stage of testing development (i.e. TRL). Please view the simulant pages in the Recently Used Lunar Simulants links on the right for testing recommendations for each simulant.
NASA simulant recommendations for evacuation/flow, drilling, abrasion/wear, oxygen production, and human health studies are provided in the
Lunar Regolith Simulant User’s Guide (Schrader et al., 2010). Additions, updates, and revisions to the Schrader et al. (2010) document are in progress via the LSII Simulant Advisory Committee (Gruener et al., in progress).
NASA's Role in Simulants
NASA's Role in Simulants
Simulant guidance, inquiries, recommendations, and procurement are facilitated through the
NASA Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative (LSII) Simulant Advisory Committee. The purpose of the Simulant Advisory Committee is to establish a NASA-wide voice of all things simulants. The committee gives advice on appropriate use and creation of simulants and assists in their production and distribution across NASA, academia, and the private sector. The committee will identify a simulant supply chain and develop guidelines and standards to facilitate consistency and efficiency for bulk-use, moderate-fidelity use, and high-fidelity use simulants. Additionally, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) LSII is working with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s (APL)
Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) to characterize and assess commercial lunar simulants. See summary on page 24 of the
Johns Hopkins Lunar Simulant Assessment.
Simulant Advisory Committee POC's
Simulant Advisory Committee POC's
For more information on lunar simulants, contact the NASA POC’s listed below
| Personnel |
Role |
Phone |
Email |
| John Gruener |
JSC Simulant POC/
Committee Lead |
281-483-1842 |
john.e.gruener@nasa.gov |
| Rostislav Kovtun |
JSC Simulant POC |
281-244-5128 |
rostislav.n.kovtun@nasa.gov |
| Jennifer Edmunson |
MSFC Simulant POC |
256-544-0721 |
jennifer.e.edmunson@nasa.gov |
| Doug Rickman |
MSFC Simulant POC |
256-650-5422 |
douglas.l.rickman@nasa.gov |
| Laurent Sibille |
KSC Simulant POC |
321-867-4422 |
laurent.sibille-1@nasa.gov |
Importance of high quality simulants
Importance of high quality simulants
Though lunar simulant is not a "technology", every technology being developed for use on the lunar surface needs to be tested with high quality lunar simulants. Currently, there is only a small, scattered supply of lunar simulant "left overs". This project will address the current shortage of lunar simulants and supply appropriate simulants for testing new technologies. These include mineral/chemical simulants (oxygen from regolith, dust toxicity) and mechanical simulants (mobility, excavation, construction) with both lower and higher fidelities for different levels of TRL development.
Our Concept of Operations
Our Concept of Operations
Concept of Operations
-
Small NASA Simulant Advisory Committee, led by JSC Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES)
-
NASA team coordinates simulant requirements based on projects' needs across the agency
-
Purchase simulants from existing vendors when possible; government development and production when warranted
-
Coordinate with JHU/APL Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium
Simulants NASA has recently used
Simulants NASA has recently used
Contact center POC for simulant information
Johnson Space Center / ARES Division (as of 2021)
Johnson Space Center / ARES Division (as of 2021)
| Simulant |
Analog |
| BP-1 |
Moon (mare) |
| JSC-1/1A |
Moon (mare) |
| JSC-1 source material (sand) |
Moon (mare) |
| JSC-1 source material (3/4" rocks) |
Moon (mare) |
| LMS-1 |
Moon (mare) |
| MLS-1 |
Moon (mare) |
| OPRL2N |
Moon (mare) |
| GreenSpar < 90 μm |
Moon (highlands) |
| GreenSpar < 250 μm |
Moon (highlands) |
| LHS-1 |
Moon (highlands) |
| LHS-1D |
Moon (highlands) |
| NU-LHT Series |
Moon (highlands w/ and w/o agglutinates) |
| OPRH4W30 |
Moon (purest anorthosite, PAN + agglutinates) |
| NU-LHT Agglutinate |
Moon (agglutinates) |
Glenn Research Center (as of 2017)
Glenn Research Center (as of 2017)
| Simulant |
Analog |
| JSC-1/1A |
Moon (mare) |
| Chenobi |
Moon (highlands) |
| NU-LHT-3M |
Moon (highlands) |
| GRC-1 |
Moon |
| GRC-3 |
Moon |
| Fillite (high sinkage mobility simulant) |
Moon |
| MLS-1 |
Moon (highlands) |
| Plasma treated MLS-1 |
Moon (highlands) |
| JSC Mars-1 |
Mars |
| Fuller's Earth |
Mars |
Marshall Space Flight Center (as of 2017)
Marshall Space Flight Center (as of 2017)
| Simulant |
Analog |
| Chenobi |
Moon (highlands) |
| CSM-CL-S |
Moon (mare) |
| FJS-1 |
Moon (mare) |
| GSC-1 (GCA-1) |
Moon (mare) |
| JSC-1/1A/1AC/1AF/2A |
Moon (mare) |
| Kohyama Base |
Moon (Intermediate) |
| MLS-1 |
Moon (mare) |
| NU-LHT-1M/2M/2C |
Moon (highlands w/ agglutinates) |
| OB-1 |
Moon (highlands) |
| Oshima Base |
Moon (mare) |
| OTC-CHENOBI-AGGL |
Moon (highlands) |
| OTC-JSC-1A-AGGL |
Moon (mare) |
| OTC-JSC-1A-Dust |
Moon (mare) |
| OTC-NU-LHT-2M-AGGL |
Moon (highlands) |
| JSC Mars-1A |
Mars |
Kennedy Space Center / Swamp Works (as of 2017)
Kennedy Space Center / Swamp Works (as of 2017)
| Simulant |
Analog |
| BP-1 |
Moon (mare) |
| JSC-1A |
Moon (mare) |
| NU-LHT-2M |
Moon (highlands) |
| Zybek JSC-2A/2AF |
Moon (mare) |
| Zybek LHT-3 |
Moon (highlands) |
| JSC Mars-1 |
Mars |
| DSI/UCF-CI-1 |
Asteroid |
| DSI/UCF-CR-1 |
Asteroid |
| DSI/UCF-CM-1 |
Asteroid |
| DSI/UCF-C2-1 |
Asteroid |
Commercially Available Simulants
Commercially Available Simulants
There are a few commercial companies that produce simulants:
-
Center for Lunar & Asteroid Surface Science (CLASS) Exolith Lab: Not-for-profit offshoot from the University of Central Florida (UCF) Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) node
- Creates non-agglutinate regolith simulants for the Moon, Mars, and asteroids
-
Off Planet Research: Small company in Everett, Washington
- Scientific and engineering grades of both agglutinate and non-agglutinate lunar mare and highlands regolith simulants as well as icy/volatile-rich simulants
-
Outward Technologies: Small company near Denver, Colorado (formerly Blue Shift)
- Creates agglutinate particle simulants using commercially available regolith simulants (can use any simulant to create agglutinates)
-
The Colorado School of Mines Center for Space Resources: Colorado-based research and technology development center dedicated to the human and robotic exploration of space and the utilization of its resources
- Looking to start simulant production, development, and standardization in the near future. For more information on simulants at the Colorado School of Mines, visit their simulant website
-
Hudson Resources Inc.: Canadian-based mining and exploration company mainly operating out of Greenland
- NASA is working with Hudson Resources Inc. to provide large amounts of lunar highland simulant feedstock. Please contact the NASA POC’s for more information on this effort.
| Company |
Simulant Name |
Analog |
| Exolith Labs |
LHS-1 |
Moon (highlands) |
| Exolith Labs |
LMS-1 |
Moon (mare) |
| Off Planet Research |
OPRH2N |
Moon (nearside highlands) |
| Off Planet Research |
OPRH3N |
Moon (farside highlands) |
| Off Planet Research |
OPRH4N |
Moon (purest anorthosite, PAN) |
| Off Planet Research |
OPRL2N |
Moon (mare) |
| Off Planet Research |
OPRL2NT |
Moon (high-titanium mare) |
| Off Planet Research |
OPRFLCROSS2 |
Moon (polar volatiles) |
| Outward Technologies |
--- |
Moon (agglutinates) |
| Hudson Resources Inc. |
GreenSpar |
Anorthosite |
Simulant Preparation and Storage
Simulant Preparation and Storage
For more information on proper simulant preparation, use, and storage, refer to the
NASA LSII Dust Mitigation Project and the NASA-STD-1008 technical standard document (expected to be released for public distribution by July 2021).
-
↑ 1.0 1.1 Taylor, L. A., et al. (2016). "Evaluations of lunar regolith simulants." Planetary and Space Science 126, pg. 1-7.
-
↑ McKay, D. S., et al. (1994). "JSC-1: A new lunar soil simulant". American Society of Civil Engineers. pp. 857-866.
-
↑ Heiken, G. H., et al., (1991). "Lunar Sourcebook: A user's guide to the Moon". Cambridge University Press.
-
↑ Sibille, L., et al., (2006). "Lunar regolith simulant materials: Recommendations for standardization, production, and usage." NASA/TP-2006-214605.
-
↑ (2019) Cross-Program Design Specifications for Natural Environments (DSNE). SLS-SPEC-159 Revision G.
ISRU & Simulants
ISRU & Simulants
NASA is actively planning to expand the horizons of human space exploration, and
with the Space Launch System and the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, we will
soon have the ability travel beyond low Earth orbit.
This will open up a solar system
of possibilities and will allow NASA to send humans to explore near-Earth asteroids,
the moon, and Mars and its moons. But, to reach these deep-space destinations, the
work must start now.
NASA is developing the technologies and systems to transport explorers to multiple
destinations, each with the potential to provide resources such as oxygen, fuel, water
and building materials that are necessary for sustained human space exploration.
The practice of harnessing local resources is called in-situ-resource utilization (ISRU),
and it becomes increasingly important with long-duration missions because cargo resupply
efforts are expensive and exclusively relying on them may put crews at risk.
Each pound of propellant, air, food, water and shelter that is launched into space
requires a significant amount of fuel and thrust, limiting the potential duration
and scope of a mission. Learning to extract resources from space destinations will
reduce the cost of future missions and expand their potential.
Simulant Research
Simulant Research
ARES scientists are supporting NASA's
Moon to Mars
Exploration Campaign with the development of planetary surface simulants for use
in ISRU engineering projects. The Apollo missions only brought back 382 kilograms
(842 pounds) of
lunar rocks and soils.
These materials are national treasures, and only used in very small amounts for
scientifically important investigations.
Lunar simulants, though, can be produced in large amounts from terrestrial geologic
materials found on Earth to mimic the chemical and mineralogical nature of lunar soils.
As NASA makes plans for long-term exploration and utilization of the Moon, simulants
representing the darker mare regions of the Moon, as well as the brighter lunar highlands
(including the polar regions) are being made to test ISRU excavation and processing
equipment, and plant-growth studies.
Mars soil simulants are also being created to represent the wide variety of terrain
types and geologic units found on Mars. Each simulant is being produced for specific
purposes, like the recently produced
JSC Rocknest simulant,
which was developed for use in ISRU component and system testing for water extraction
from Mars soil.
JSC Rocknest was designed to be chemically and mineralogically similar to material from
the aeolian sand shadow named Rocknest in Gale Crater, particularly the 1-3 wt.% water
release as measured by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on
NASA's Curiosity Rover.
Extracting water from Martian materials will be critical for a long term human
presence on Mars to occur.
Life in the Mars Exploration Zones: In the future, plants will be grown
in greenhouses on Mars using soils harvested from the planet. Current simulant
development efforts are supprting the research to make this a reality.
Life in the Mars Exploration Zones: In the future, plants will be grown
in greenhouses on Mars using soils harvested from the planet. Current simulant
development efforts are supprting the research to make this a reality.
Life in the Mars Exploration Zones: In the future, plants will be grown
in greenhouses on Mars using soils harvested from the planet. Current simulant
development efforts are supprting the research to make this a reality.
