Properties of Frozen Soil for Excavation on the Moon
Abstract
Establishment of a base on the moon is an essential part of deep space missions. Any base on the moon should be self supporting, meaning the base should be able to mine, process, and store consumable resources on the moon to the extent possible. One of the most important aspects of establishing a base on the moon is the ability to excavate various formations for construction and mining purposes. Although the surface of the moon is covered by regolith and rock fragments, the layers below surface are more consolidated due to vibration caused by impacts or possibly freezing of condensed water vapors in the dark side and poles of the moon. the ice in the frozen soil, is possibly the most valuable resource on the moon and its excavation should be a part of advance planning of mining activities in space programs. This paper covers some of the background information on the properties of frozen regolith and discusses the extensive testing performed on lunar stimulant soils, including the compaction testing, measurement of compressive strength of frozen soil, indentation tests, and full scale cutting test of samples for development of a prototype lunar excavator.
Recommended Citation
J. Rostami et al., "Properties of Frozen Soil for Excavation on the Moon," ISRM International Symposium - 5th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium 2008, ARMS 2008, pp. 1477 - 1486, International Society of Rock Mechanics, Jan 2008.
Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Excavation; Frozen Soil; Indentation; Lunar Mining; Material Characterization; Moon Mining
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
978-161782352-7
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2024 International Society of Rock Mechanics, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2008
Comments
Kennedy Space Center, Grant None