Editing Lunar regolith simulant

[[File:JSC-1A lunar simulant jar.agr.jpg|thumb|A 1 kg jar of JSC-1A lunar simulant]]

[[File:JSC-1A lunar simulant.agr.jpg|thumb|Approximately 15 [[gram|g]] of JSC-1A]]

A '''lunar regolith simulant''' is a terrestrial material synthesized in order to approximate the chemical, mechanical, or engineering properties of, and the mineralogy and particle size distributions of, lunar [[regolith]].<ref name=McKayEtAl1 /> Lunar regolith simulants are used by researchers who wish to research the materials handling, excavation, transportation, and uses of lunar regolith. Samples of actual lunar regolith are too scarce, and too small, for such research, and have been [[Lunar soil#Availability on Earth|contaminated by exposure to Earth's atmosphere]].

== Early simulants ==

In the run-up to the [[Apollo program]], crushed terrestrial rocks were first used to simulate the anticipated soils that astronauts would encounter on the lunar surface.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Salisbury |first1=John |title=Studies of the Characteristics of Probable Lunar Surface Materials |journal=Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories (U.S.) Special Reports |date=1964 |volume=20 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102198352}}</ref> In some cases the properties of these early simulants were substantially different from actual lunar soil, and the issues associated with the pervasive, fine-grained, sharp dust grains on the Moon came as a surprise.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gaier |first1=James |title=The Effects of Lunar Dust on EVA Systems During the Apollo Missions |journal=NASA Technical Reports |date=2005 |issue=2005–213610 |url=https://history.nasa.gov/alsj/TM-2005-213610.pdf}}</ref>

== Later simulants ==

After Apollo and particularly during the development of the [[Constellation program]], there was a large proliferation of lunar simulants produced by different organizations and researchers. Many of these were given three-letter acronyms to distinguish them (e.g., MLS-1, JSC-1), and numbers to designate subsequent versions. These simulants were broadly divided into highlands or mare soils, and were usually produced by crushing and sieving analogous terrestrial rocks (anorthosite for highlands, basalt for mare). Returned Apollo and Luna samples were used as reference materials in order to target specific properties such as elemental chemistry or particle size distribution. Many of these simulants were criticized by prominent lunar scientist Larry Taylor for a lack of quality control and wasted money on features like nanophase iron that had no documented purpose.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Lawrence |last2=Pieters |first2=Carle |last3=Britt |first3=Daniel |title=Evaluations of lunar regolith simulants |journal=Planetary and Space Science |date=2016 |volume=126 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1016/j.pss.2016.04.005 |bibcode=2016P&SS..126....1T }}</ref>

=== JSC-1 and -1A ===

'''JSC-1''' ('''Johnson Space Center Number One''') was a lunar regolith simulant that was developed in 1994 by [[NASA]] and the [[Johnson Space Center]]. Its developers intended it to approximate the [[lunar soil]] of the [[lunar mare|maria]]. It was sourced from a [[basalt]]ic ash with a high glass content.<ref name=McKayEtAl1>{{cite conference|book-title=Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space IV; Proceedings of the 4th International Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 26–March 3, 1994|volume=2|editor1=Rodney G. Galloway |editor2=Stanley Lokaj |location=New York|publisher=[[American Society of Civil Engineers]]|isbn=0-87262-937-6|pages=857–866|year=1994|title=JSC-1: A new lunar soil simulant|author1=David S. McKay |author2=James L. Carter |author3=Walter W. Boles |author4=Carlton C. Allen |author5=Judith H. Allton |name-list-style=amp |url=http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/strategies/jsc_lunar_simulant.pdf}}</ref>

In 2005, NASA contracted with Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) for a second batch of simulant in three grades:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090627120050/http://isru.msfc.nasa.gov/lib/workshops/2009/03_JSC-1A_Lunar_RegSimulant_Update_BGustafson.pdf NASA.gov]</ref>

NASA received 14 metric tons of JSC-1A, and one ton each of AF and AC in 2006. Another 15 tons of JSC-1A and 100&nbsp;kg of JSC-1F were produced by ORBITEC for commercial sale, but ORBITEC is no longer selling simulants and was acquired by the Sierra Nevada Corporation. An 8-ton sand box of commercial JSC‐1A is available for daily rental from the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI).<ref>[http://sservi.nasa.gov/ NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI)]</ref>

JSC-1A can [[geopolymer]]ize in an alkaline solutions resulting in a hard, rock-like, material.<ref>Montes, Broussard, Gongre, Simicevic, Mejia, Tham, Allouche, Davis; Evaluation of lunar regolith geopolymer binder as a radioactive shielding material for space exploration applications, Adv. Space Res. 56:1212–1221 (2015)</ref><ref name=Alexiadis2016>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.asr.2016.10.003|title=Geopolymers from lunar and Martian soil simulants |year=2017 |last1=Alexiadis |first1=Alessio |last2=Alberini |first2=Federico |last3=Meyer |first3=Marit E. |journal=Advances in Space Research |volume=59 |issue=1 |pages=490–495 |bibcode=2017AdSpR..59..490A |s2cid=55076745 |url=http://pure-oai.bham.ac.uk/ws/files/36806427/Alexiadis_et_al_Geopolymers_from_lunar_Advances_in_Space_Research_2016.pdf }}</ref> Tests show that the maximum [[Compressive strength|compressive]] and [[flexural strength]] of the 'lunar' geopolymer is comparable to that of conventional cements.<ref name=Alexiadis2016 />

[[File:Lunar Martial Geopolymers.jpg|thumb|upright|Geopolymers from lunar (JSC-1A) and Martian ([[Martian regolith simulant|JSC MARS-1A]]) dust simulants produced at the [[University of Birmingham]]<ref name=Alexiadis2016 />]]

JSC-1 and JSC-1A are now no longer available outside of NASA centers.

=== NU-LHT and OB-1 ===

Two lunar highlands simulants, the NU-LHT (lunar highlands type) series and OB-1 (olivine-bytownite) were developed and produced in anticipation of the Constellation activities. Both of these simulants are sourced mostly from rare [[anorthosite]] deposits on the Earth. For NU-LHT the anorthosite came from the Stillwater complex, and for OB-1 it came from the Shawmere Anorthosite in Ontario. Neither of these simulants were widely distributed.

== Recent simulants ==

Most of the previously developed lunar simulants are no longer being produced or distributed outside of NASA. Multiple companies have tried to sell regolith simulants for profit, including Zybek Advanced Products, ORBITEC, and [[Deep Space Industries]]. None of these efforts have seen much success. NASA is unable to sell simulants, or distribute unlimited amounts for free; however, NASA can award set amounts of simulant to grant winners.

Several lunar simulants have been developed recently and are either being sold commercially or are available for rent inside large regolith bins. These include the ''OPRL2N Standard Representative Lunar Mare Simulant''<ref>[https://www.offplanetresearch.com/listofsimulants OPRL2N Standard Representative Lunar Mare Simulant]</ref> and ''Standard Representative Lunar Highland Simulant''.<ref>[https://www.offplanetresearch.com/listofsimulants OPRH2N Standard Representative Lunar Highland Simulant]</ref> Off Planet Research also produces customized simulants for specific locations on the Moon including lunar polar icy regolith simulants that include the volatiles identified in the [[LCROSS]] mission.

Other simulants include ''Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS-1)''<ref>[http://sciences.ucf.edu/class/simulant_lunarhighlands/ Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS-1)]</ref> and ''Lunar Mare Simulant (LMS-1)''<ref>[http://sciences.ucf.edu/class/simulant_lunarmare/ Lunar Mare Simulant (LMS-1)]</ref> produced and distributed by the not-for-profit Exolith Lab run out of the [[University of Central Florida]].<ref>[https://sciences.ucf.edu/class/exolithlab/ Exolith Lab]</ref>

[[Indian Space Research Organisation]] has developed its own lunar highland soil simulant called LSS-ISAC1 for its [[Chandrayaan programme]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Anbazhagan |first1=S. |last2=Venugopal |first2=I. |last3=Arivazhagan |first3=S. |last4=Chinnamuthu |first4=M. |last5=Paramasivam |first5=C. R. |last6=Nagesh |first6=G. |last7=Kannan |first7=S. A. |last8=Shamarao |last9=Babu |first9=V. Chandra |last10=Annadurai |first10=M. |last11=Muthukkumaran |first11=Kasinathan |last12=Rajesh |first12=V. J. |date=2021-09-15 |title=A lunar soil simulant (LSS-ISAC-1) for the lunar exploration programme of the Indian Space Research Organisation |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001910352100186X |journal=Icarus |volume=366 |pages=114511 |doi=10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114511 |bibcode=2021Icar..36614511A |issn=0019-1035}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Venugopal |first1=I. |last2=Muthukkumaran |first2=Kasinathan |last3=Sriram |first3=K. V. |last4=Anbazhagan |first4=S. |last5=Prabu |first5=T. |last6=Arivazhagan |first6=S. |last7=Shukla |first7=Sanjay Kumar |date=December 2020 |title=Invention of Indian Moon Soil (Lunar Highland Soil Simulant) for Chandrayaan Missions |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40891-020-00231-0 |journal=International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering |language=en |volume=6 |issue=4 |doi=10.1007/s40891-020-00231-0 |s2cid=225171995 |issn=2199-9260}}</ref> The raw material for this simulant was sourced from [[Sithampoondi]] and Kunnamalai villages in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{Cite news |last=D.S |first=Madhumathi |date=2019-07-12 |title=ISRO's lunar touchdown has dry run on soil fetched from Tamil Nadu |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/isros-lunar-touchdown-has-dry-run-on-soil-fetched-from-tamil-nadu/article28416365.ece |access-date=2023-09-20 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nath |first=Akshaya |date=2023-09-18 |title=A Tamil Nadu village and its precious soil put Chandrayaan-3 on moon. Now, farmers are scared |url=https://theprint.in/ground-reports/a-tamil-nadu-village-and-its-precious-soil-put-chandrayaan-3-on-moon-now-farmers-are-scared/1765381/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Lunar soil]]

* [[Martian regolith simulant]]

* [[Moon rock]]

== References ==

== Further reading ==

* {{cite book|title=The Moon: resources, future development, and settlement|editor1=David G. Schrunk |editor2=Burton L. Sharpe |editor3=Bonnie L. Cooper |editor4=Madhu Thangavelu |edition=2nd|publisher=Springer|year=2007|isbn=978-0-387-36055-3|pages=257–268|chapter=Appendix C: Lunar soil simulants|author=Bonnie Cooper}}

* {{cite journal|author1=P Carpenter |author2=L Sibille |author3=S Wilson |author4=G Meeker |year=2006|title=Development of Standardized Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials|journal=Microscopy and Microanalysis|volume=12 (Suppl. 02)|issue=S02 |pages=886–887|doi=10.1017/S143192760606301X|bibcode = 2006MiMic..12..886C |doi-access=free|hdl=2060/20060004752|hdl-access=free}}

* {{cite conference|title=JSC-1: A new lunar regolith simulant|journal=Lunar and Planetary Science Conference|book-title=Lunar and Planetary Science XXIV|pages=963–964|author1=D. S. McKay |author2=J. L. Carter |author3=W. W. Boles |author4=C. C. Allen |author5=J. H. Alton |name-list-style=amp |year=1993 |bibcode=1993LPI....24..963M}}

* {{cite conference|title=Mechanical Properties of JSC-1 Lunar Regolith Simulant|author1=J. Ledlie Klosky |author2=Stein Sture |author3=Hon-Yim Ko |author4=Frank Barnes |name-list-style=amp |pages=680–688|doi=10.1061/40177(207)94|book-title=Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space 5: Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Space ’96 held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 1–6, 1996|editor=Stewart W. Johnson|location=New York|publisher=[[American Society of Civil Engineers]]|isbn=0-7844-0177-2|year=1996 }}

* {{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.asr.2008.07.006|title=CAS-1 lunar soil simulant|author1=Yongchun Zheng |author2=Shijie Wang |author3=Ziyuan Ouyang |author4=Yongliao Zou |author5=Jianzhong Liu |author6=Chunlai Li |author7=Xiongyao Lia |author8=Junming Feng |journal=Advances in Space Research|volume=43|issue=3|date=2009-02-02|pages=448–454|bibcode=2009AdSpR..43..448Z}}