Exocam: Mars in a box to simulate soil-atmosphere interactions

Rannou, P.; Chassefière, Éric; Encrenaz, Th.; Erard, S.; Génin, J.‐M. R.; Ingrin, Jannick; Jambon, Albert; Jolivet, Joël; Raulin, F.; Renault, P.; Rochette, P.; Person, Alain; Siguier, Jean-Michel; Toublanc, D.

doi:10.1016/s0273-1177(01)00046-1

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The China National Space Administration (CNSA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of USA (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), among other government and regional agencies, have initiated many space exploration research programs in an attempt to investigate the geological and environmental conditions on the Moon, the surface of the Mars and other planets so that to provide feasibility studies on possible future colonization. This has resulted in enormous progress in recent years in the development of technologies related with space exploration and the scientific study of planets, the mapping of their surfaces and the potential form of life out of Earth [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ], in which astrobiology research has also provided substantial contributions [ 12 ]. Understanding of the surface conditions and the mechanical properties of planets and their natural satellites is critical to be obtained as it will affect the potential design of facilities and provide an understanding of roving vehicle–ground interaction [ 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Grain-Scale Study of Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1)

Kasyap

Senetakis

2021

Sensors

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Space exploration has attracted significant interest by government agencies and the scientific community in recent years in an attempt to explore possible scenarios of settling of facilities on the Moon and Mars surface. One of the important components in space exploration is related with the understanding of the geophysical and geotechnical characteristics of the surfaces of planets and their natural satellites and because of the limitation of available extra-terrestrial samples, many times researchers develop simulants, which mimic the properties and characteristics of the original materials. In the present study, characterization at the grain-scale was performed on the Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1) with emphasis on the frictional behavior of small size samples which follow the particle-to-particle configuration. Additional characterization was performed by means of surface composition and morphology analysis and the crushing behavior of individual grains. The results from the study present for the first time the micromechanical tribological response of Mars simulant, and attempts were also made to compare the behavior of this simulant with previously published results on other types of Earth and extra-terrestrial materials. Despite some similarities between Mars and Moon simulants, the unique characteristics of the MMS-1 samples resulted in significant differences and particularly in severe damage of the grain surfaces, which was also linked to the dilation behavior at the grain-scale.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Grain-Scale Study of Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1)

Kasyap

Senetakis

2021

Sensors

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“…Since the 1960s, there have been numerous developments of simulation chambers around the world, including the chamber to study the behavior of terrestrial microorganisms under artificial Martian conditions [ 2 ] and other multiple simulating facilities for planetary and space research [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. The design of this kind of facilities is still an active area of interest, as each one is generally built with a few specific objectives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Space Environmental Chamber for Planetary Studies

Ramachandran

Nazarious

Mathanlal

et al. 2020

Sensors

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We describe a versatile simulation chamber that operates under representative space conditions (pressures from < 10−5 mbar to ambient and temperatures from 163 to 423 K), the SpaceQ chamber. This chamber allows to test instrumentation, procedures, and materials and evaluate their performance when exposed to outgassing, thermal vacuum, low temperatures, baking, dry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) sterilization protocols, and water. The SpaceQ is a cubical stainless-steel chamber of 27,000 cm3 with a door of aluminum. The chamber has a table which can be cooled using liquid nitrogen. The chamber walls can be heated (for outgassing, thermal vacuum, or dry heat applications) using an outer jacket. The chamber walls include two viewports and 12 utility ports (KF, CF, and Swagelok connectors). It has sensors for temperature, relative humidity, and pressure, a UV–VIS–NIR spectrometer, a UV irradiation lamp that operates within the chamber as well as a stainless-steel syringe for water vapor injection, and USB, DB-25 ports to read the data from the instruments while being tested inside. This facility has been specifically designed for investigating the effect of water on the Martian surface. The core novelties of this chamber are: (1) its ability to simulate the Martian near-surface water cycle by injecting water multiple times into the chamber through a syringe which allows to control and monitor precisely the initial relative humidity inside with a sensor that can operate from vacuum to Martian pressures and (2) the availability of a high-intensity UV lamp, operating from vacuum to Martian pressures, within the chamber, which can be used to test material curation, the role of the production of atmospheric radicals, and the degradation of certain products like polymers and organics. For illustration, here we present some applications of the SpaceQ chamber at simulated Martian conditions with and without atmospheric water to (i) calibrate the ground temperature sensor of the Engineering Qualification Model of HABIT (HabitAbility: Brines, Irradiation and Temperature) instrument, which is a part of ExoMars 2022 mission. These tests demonstrate that the overall accuracy of the temperature retrieval at a temperature between −50 and 10 °C is within 1.3 °C and (ii) investigate the curation of composite materials of Martian soil simulant and binders, with added water, under Martian surface conditions under dry and humid conditions. Our studies have demonstrated that the regolith, when mixed with super absorbent polymer (SAP), water, and binders exposed to Martian conditions, can form a solid block and retain more than 80% of the added water, which may be of interest to screen radiation while maintaining a low weight.

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“…Laboratory-based facilities are able to mimic the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of a majority of planetary objects (e.g., Mars, Titan, Europa). Planetary simulation chambers have experienced extraordinary improvement from the first methodological models and instrumental designs in the 1960s to the present (Zhukova et al, 1965;Zill et al, 1979;Rannou et al, 2001;Sears et al, 2002;Galletta et al, 2006;Jensen et al, 2008;Sobron and Wang, 2012;Sobrado et al, 2014). At first, the majority of these environmental simulation chambers consisted of uncomplicated systems, which reproduced a particular gas composition and temperature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Actually, there exist few sophisticated chambers that include in situ gas analysis techniques for specific problems, such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) or quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS). Among them, EXOCAM (Rannou et al, 2001) is devoted to the study of physical-chemical interactions between the atmospheres and the surface and subsurface in Mars conditions. Andromeda (Sears et al, 2002) planetary simulation chamber is mainly dedicated to simulate conditions on Mars.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cámara de simulación planetaria transfiere Marte a estudios en el laboratorio

Mateo‐Martí

2016

Fís. Tierra

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Although space missions provide fundamental and unique knowledge for planetary exploration, they are always costly and extremely time-consuming. Due to the obvious technical and economical limitations of in-situ planetary exploration, laboratory simulations are among the most feasible research options for making advances in planetary exploration. Therefore, laboratory simulations of planetary environments are a necessary and complementary option to expensive space missions. Simulation chambers are economical, more versatile, and allow for a higher number of experiments than space missions. Laboratory-based facilities are able to mimic the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of a majority of planetary objects. Number of relevant applications in Mars planetary exploration will be described in order to provide an understanding about the potential and flexibility of planetary simulation chambers systems: mainly, stability and presence of certain minerals on Mars surface; and microorganisms potential habitability under planetary environmental conditions would be studied. Therefore, simulation chambers will be a promising tools and necessary platform to design future planetary space mission and to validate in-situ measurements from orbital or rover observations.

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Exocam: Mars in a box to simulate soil-atmosphere interactions

Cited by 11 publications

References 2 publications

A Grain-Scale Study of Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1)

A Grain-Scale Study of Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1)

Space Environmental Chamber for Planetary Studies

Cámara de simulación planetaria transfiere Marte a estudios en el laboratorio

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