A review on the preparation techniques and geotechnical behaviour of icy lunar regolith simulants

Ricardo, Daniel; Hodgkinson, Jane; Akbar Rhamdhani, M.; Brooks, Geoffrey

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2023.09.032

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Water is a critical resource for human survival, mission operations, and as a fuel component, making the establishment of reliable water extraction technologies a crucial challenge [11]. The unique conditions of the Moon, with water concentrations detected near the poles and in permanently shaded regions, make it a promising candidate for In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) [12,13]. Similarly, Mars presents unique challenges and opportunities, with its regolith believed to contain bound water molecules, which can be extracted to support long-duration human missions [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Recuperation from Regolith at Martian, Lunar & Micro-gravity during Parabolic Flight

Farina,

Machrafi,

Queeckers

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Recent discoveries of potential ice particles and ice-cemented regolith on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars have ushered in new opportunities for developing technologies to extract water, facilitating future space missions and activities on these celestial surfaces. This study delves into the potential for water extraction from regolith through an experiment designed to test water recuperation from regolith simulant under varying gravitational conditions. The resultant water vapor extracted from the regolith is re-condensed on a substrate surface and collected in liquid form. Three types of substrates, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and grooved, are explored. The system’s functionality was assessed during a parabolic flight campaign simulating three distinct gravity levels: microgravity, lunar gravity, and Martian gravity. Our findings reveal that the hydrophobic surface demonstrates the highest efficiency due to drop-wise condensation, and lower gravity levels result in increased water condensation on the substrates. This experiment aims to provide insights into in-situ water recovery, which is pivotal for establishing economically-sustainable water supplies for future missions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%