TaylorL Simulants SRR6

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Larry Taylor, Dave McKay, David Carrier, James Carter, and Paul Weiblen The Lunar Simulant Consortium “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Lunar Soil” CSM 11/1/04 The Nature of Lunar Soil: Considerations for Simulants

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FORMATION OF LUNAR SOIL UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF LUNAR SOIL SCI / ENGR PROPERTIES OF LUNAR SOILS THE NATURE OF LUNAR SOIL SIMULANTS Moon is an enormous Earth-orbiting Space Station, A natural satellite outside of Earth’s gravity well, With raw materials that can be put to practical use As humanity expands outward into the Solar System. OUTLINE

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Our Unhappy Moon 30 - 100,000 km/hr

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Micrometeorite Impacts on Lunar Glass Bead 5 mm Impact Craters Courtesy – Dave McKay

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Lunar Soil Formation Comminution, Agglutination, & Vapor Deposition

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Mare-Soil Agglutinates Polished section as viewed in Reflected Light

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Weight Distribution Table 9.1 (LSB, 1991); Weight distribution in size fractions of scooped surface soils.

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Vapor-Deposited Nanophase Feo on Plagioclase Plagioclase 100 Å SiO2-rich glass Keller et al. (1999)

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Wentworth et al. (1999) rim Multiple Layers of Vapor Deposition Agglutinitic Glass Np Fe0 Wentworth et al., 1999 Layer 1 Layer 2

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MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF LUNAR SOILS Effects of Vapor-Deposited Nanophase Feo are a Direct Function of Surface Area and Most Pronounced in the Finest Grain Sizes; Virtually All <10 m Particles are Easily Attracted by a Simple Hand-held Magnet, Plg, Pyx, Ol, and Agglutinitic Glass alike. Magnetic Susceptibility of Soil Particles Increases as Grain Size Decreases;

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Lunar Dust Effects: Must be Addressed before any Commercial Presence on the Moon can be Fully Evaluated. Potential for coatings, on seals, gaskets, optical lens, windows, electrical components, et cetera; Abrasiveness, with regards to friction-bearing surfaces; Potential for settling on all thermal and optical surfaces, such as Solar cells and mirrors; and Physiological effects on humans, especially with respect to the lungs, the lymph system, and potentially the cardiovascular system, in the case of extremely fine particles. SOLUTION: Magnetic brushes ??

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MICROWAVE PROCESSING OF LUNAR SOIL SINTERING and MELTING Microwave Source Parabolic Metal Reflector Primary Cone of Microwaves Creating Smooth-Sintered to Glassy Surfaces on the Moon

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MICROWAVE PROCESSING OF LUNAR SOIL SINTERING and MELTING

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Specific Gravity: Range from 2.3 to >3.2; recommend 3.1 for Engr/Sci use. Bulk Density: top 15 cm = 1.45-1.55 g/cm3; avg = 1.50 0.05 g/cm3 0-30 cm = 1.53-1.63 g/cm3; avg = 1.58 0.05 g/cm3 30-60 cm = 1.69-1.79 g/cm3; avg = 1.74 0.05 g/cm3 0-60 cm = 1.61-1.71 0.05 g/cm3; avg = 1.66 0.05 g/cm3 values up to 1.9 g/cm3 estimated at depth of cores to 2.98 m Lunar soil, in-situ, is very dense, more than that which could be produced with mechanical compaction equipment – the lunar soil has experienced slow shaking over eons of time. Soil Porosity Lunar Soil Properties