Abstract Future human space exploration and habitation on the lunar and Martian surfaces necessitates in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for the development of construction materials tailored for infrastructure and environmental protection. Here we explore the use of lunar and Martian regoliths to create construction materials with properties suitable for such structures as landing pads. Alkali activation of a spectrum of lunar and Martian regolith simulants generates geopolymer binders under ambient and vacuum curing conditions as well as exposure to extreme high and low temperatures (600 and −80 °C). Compressive strength is reduced for binders prepared from each simulant after curing under vacuum and exposure to sub-zero temperatures. In lunar simulant binders, the compressive strength is increased after heating to 600 °C, but the opposite effect is observed in the Martian simulant binder. Amorphous aluminosilicate content and percentage of small particles in the simulants are hypothesized to have a positive impact on compressive strength under ambient curing. Iron and magnesium content may be responsible for decreased compressive strength of the Martian binder after heating. This study offers a robust framework for comparing performance of different simulants under the same curing protocols and environmental exposures, as well as offering insight as to the effects of vacuum curing, and exposure to high and low temperature environments on cured binder samples. Developing a landing pad by transporting activator to the lunar surface is shown to be conceptually feasible within current payload constraints.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff prüfen

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen

    Bestellung bei Subito €


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren



    Titel :

    Comparison of lunar and Martian regolith simulant-based geopolymer cements formed by alkali-activation for in-situ resource utilization


    Beteiligte:

    Erschienen in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 69 , 1 ; 761-777


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2021-10-24


    Format / Umfang :

    17 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch




    Development of a Martian regolith simulant for in-situ resource utilization testing

    Scott, A.N. / Oze, C. / Tang, Y. et al. | Elsevier | 2016



    In-Situ resource utilization: investigation of melted lunar regolith simulant JSC-1A

    Kallerud, Matthew / Nguyen, Brian / Paladin, Timothy et al. | TIBKAT | 2011

    Freier Zugriff

    Composition-property relationships of BP-1 lunar regolith simulant geopolymers for in-situ resource utilization

    Egnaczyk, Thaddeus M. / Hartt V, William H. / Mills, Jennifer N. et al. | Elsevier | 2023


    Lunar Regolith Simulant User's Guide

    C. M. Schrader / D. L. Rickman / C. A. McLemore et al. | NTIS | 2010