Bearing strength of lunar soil.

Bearing load vs penetration curves have been measured on a 1.3 g sample of lunar soil from the scoop of the Surveyor 3 soil mechanics surface sampler, using a circular indentor 2 mm in diameter. Measurements were made in an Earth laboratory, in air. This sample provided a unique opportunity to evaluate earlier, remotely controlled, in-situ measurements of lunar surface bearing properties. Bearing capacity, measured at a penetration equal to the indentor diameter, varied from 0.02-0.04 N/sq cm at bulk densities of 1.15 g/cu cm to 30-100 N/sq cm at 1.9 g/cu cm. Deformation was by compression directly below the indentor at bulk densities below 1.61 g/cu cm, by outward displacement at bulk densities over 1.62 g/cu cm. Preliminary comparison of in-situ remote measurements with those on returned material indicates good agreement if the lunar regolith at Surveyor 3 has a bulk density of 1.6 g/cu cm at 2.5 cm depth.