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The Evolution and Development of the Lunar Regolith and Implications for Lunar Surface Operations and ConstructionThe lunar regolith consists of about 90% submillimeter particles traditionally termed lunar soil. The remainder consists of larger particles ranging up to boulder size rocks. At the lower size end, soil particles in the 10s of nanometer sizes are present in all soil samples. Lunar regolith overlies bedrock which consists of either lava flows in mare regions or impact-produced megaregolith in highland regions. Lunar regolith has been produced over billions of years by a combination of breaking and communition of bedrock by meteorite bombardment coupled with a variety of complex space weathering processes including solar wind implantation, solar flare and cosmic ray bombardment with attendant radiation damage, melting, vaporization, and vapor condensation driven by impact, and gardening and turnover of the resultant soil. Lunar regolith is poorly sorted compared to most terrestrial soils, and has interesting engineering properties including strong grain adhesion, over-compacted soil density, an abundance of agglutinates with sharp corners, and a variety of properties related to soil maturity. The NASA program has supported a variety of engineering test research projects, the production of bricks by solar or microwave sintering, the production of concrete, the in situ sintering and glazing of regolith by microwave, and the extraction of useful resources such as oxygen, hydrogen, iron, aluminum, silicon and other products. Future requirements for a lunar surface base or outpost will include construction of protective berms, construction of paved roadways, construction of shelters, movement and emplacement of regolith for radiation shielding and thermal control, and extraction of useful products. One early need is for light weight but powerful digging, trenching, and regolith-moving equipment.
Document ID
20090022120
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
McKay, David
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
June 11, 2009
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-18408
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Distinguished Scholars Symposia on Seven Future Technologies: Extreme Engineering
Location: Seoul
Country: Korea, Democratic People''s Republic of
Start Date: June 11, 2009
Sponsors: Hanyang Univ.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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