Behavior of Compacted Lunar Simulants Using New Vacuum Triaxial Device
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 5, Issue 4
Abstract
Development and study of mechanical properties of engineering materials from locally available materials in space is a vital endeavor toward establishment of bases on the Moon and other planets. The objectives of this study are to create a lunar simulant locally from a basaltic rock, and to design and develop a new vacuum triaxial test device that can permit testing of compacted lunar simulant under cyclic loading with different levels of initial vacuum. Then, triaxial testing is performed in the device itself without removing the compacted specimen; this is achieved by a special mechanism installed within the device. Preliminary constrained compression and triaxial shear tests are performed to identify effects of initial confinements and vacuums. The results are used to define deformation and strength parameters. At this time, vacuum levels up to are possible; subsequent research should involve higher vacuum levels, e.g., as they occur on the Moon. The research can have significant potential toward development of methodology so as to develop compacted materials for various construction applications, and also toward stress‐strain‐strength testing of lunar simulants with different vacuum levels.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Carrier, D. W., Cromwell, L. G., and Martin, R. T. (1973). “Behavior of returned lunar soil in vacuum.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, 99(11), 979–996.
2.
Carrier, W. D., and Mitchell, J. K. (1989). “Geotechnical engineering on the moon.” Proc. of One Day Seminar on Planetary Excavation, L. E. Bernold, ed., University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
3.
Costes, N. C., Carrier, W. D., Mitchell, J. K., and Scott, R. F. (1970). “Apollo 11: soil mechanics results.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, 96(6), 2045–2080.
4.
Desai, C. S., Girdner, K., Saadatmanesh, H., and Allen, T. (1991). “Development and mechanical properties of structural materials from lunar simulants.” Proc., Second Annual Symp., NASA Space Engineering Research Center, Tucson, Ariz.
5.
Fuenkajorn, K., and Daemen, J. J. K. (1986). “Experimental assessment of borehole wall drilling damage in basaltic rocks.” Report, Dept. of Mining and Geologic Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 32.
6.
Johnson, S. W., Pyrz, A. P., Lee, D. G., and Thompson, J. E. (1970). “Simulating the effects of gravitational field and atmosphere on behavior of granular media.” J. Spacecraft, 7(11), 1311–1317.
7.
Melzer, K. J. (1974). “Methods for investigating strength characteristics of a lunar soil simulant.” Geotechnique, 24(1), 13–20.
8.
Roth, A. (1976). Vacuum technology. American Elsevier Publishing Co., New York, N.Y.
9.
Taylor, S. R. (1975). Lunar science: A post Apollo view. Pergammon Press, Inc., Elmsford, N.Y.
10.
Vey, E., and Nelson, J. D. (1965). “Engineering properties of simulated lunar soils.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, 91(1), 25–52.
11.
Weiblen, P. W., Murawa, M. J., and Reid, K. J. (1990). “Preparation of simulants for lunar surface materials.” Engineering Construction and Operation in Space II, Proceedings of Space 90 Conference, ASCE, New York, N.Y., 98–106.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 ASCE.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 1992
Published in print: Oct 1992
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.