Development and Geotechnical Engineering Properties of KLS-1 Lunar Simulant

Abstract

Lunar exploration, which slowed in the 21st century after the Apollo program, has seen more activity recently with the participation of Asian countries such as Japan, China, and India. Because lunar modules and rovers cannot be tested directly on lunar soil, these countries have developed lunar simulants. Simulating lunar soil is difficult and expensive because its formation mechanism and geotechnical behavior are comprehensively different from those of the terrestrial soil. Johnson Space Center Number One (JSC-1) and Johnson Space Center Number One A (JSC-1A), developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, are the most widely used simulants. Korea has yet to succeed in developing a lunar simulant that meets international standards. The authors perform basic research on lunar simulant development based on basalt samples having similar chemical and mechanical properties to those of lunar soil, with reference to lunar soil data reported under the Apollo program. The resulting prototype is named Korea Lunar Stimulant-Type 1 (KLS-1). Compared with other lunar simulants [JSC-1 and Fuji Japanese Simulant 1 (FJS-1)], KLS-1 shows promise in terms of affordability and similarity to real lunar soil. As such, it is expected to find a wide variety of applications not only in space development projects but also in international research.

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization for a Solar-Powered Exploration Rover Considering the Restricted Power Requirement

“…In this research, the KLS-1 lunar simulant, which was produced using basalt from an area of Cheorwon in South Korea, was used to generate the bevameter and single wheel testbed ground. It has a particle-size distribution and chemical properties that are closer to those of real lunar regolith 14,163, than do other lunar simulants (JSC-1, FJS-1), as shown in Figure 2 [34,35]. Thus, it is a suitable material for performing and experiment based on wheel-terrain interaction for exploration rover.…”

“…where τ is the shear stress, j is the shear displacement, and K is the fitting shear modulus. Moreover, to identify the terrain characteristics associated with shear stress through the measured shear stresses τ m and measured maximum shear stress τ m, max , the Levenberg-Marquardt and the linear fit method are used to find the c, ∅, and K. The terrain characteristics associated with shear stress were taken from the experimental data in [34,35]. Figures 4 and 5, and Table 1 show the experimental results and derived values associated with shear stress.…”

Controlling soil disturbance of a lunar regolith simulant bed during depressurization in a vacuum chamber

“…Therefore, the conservative conditions were considered in the laboratory experiments. In addition, the KLS-1 simulant has an apparent cohesion of around 1.85 kPa as measured from the direct shear test 24 . This could explain why the soil disturbance was initiated in the pattern of a crack, as shown in Fig.…”

“…The lunar regolith simulant used in this study was the Korean Lunar Simulant Type 1 (KLS-1) passed #200 sieve with particle size ranging 0.002–0.075 mm. The KLS-1 has a very similar particle size distribution (PSD) to that of the JSC-1 and for details about the physical and mechanical properties we refer to Ryu et al 24 . The PSD is one of the most significant factors determining physical properties of the soil including the intrinsic permeability.…”

Pilbara Craton Soil as A Possible Lunar Soil Simulant for Civil Engineering Applications

“…This international research effort resulted in the creation of numerous LSSs available commercially and quasi-commercially [1]. The majority of proposed LSSs have proved to be challenging to manufacture, especially on a quasi-industrial scale [2,3,4,5,6].…”