A new experimental capability for the study of regolith surface physical properties to support science, space exploration, and <i>in situ</i> resource utilization (ISRU)

Abstract

Many surfaces found on the Moon, asteroids, Mars, moons, and other planetary bodies are covered in a fine granular material known as regolith. Increased knowledge of the physical properties of extraterrestrial regolith surfaces will help advance the scientific knowledge of these bodies as well as the development of exploration (e.g., instrument and robotic) and in situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems. The Center for Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines as part of the Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres, and Cosmic Dust of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute has developed a novel system, called the ISRU Experimental Probe (IEP) that can support studies of dry and icy regolith from −196 to 150 °C and pressure from laboratory ambient pressure to 10−7 Torr. The IEP system and proof-of-concept results are presented in this paper.