Development of a lunar soil simulator for Earth-based experiments

P.A. Alexandrov, A.L. Vasiliev, V.I. Kalechits, Yu.V. Kapustin, V.V. Klyuev, P.Yu. Makaveev, T.D. Patsaev, M.N. Shakhov

NRC “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, Russia
msha@bk.ru

Al’manac of Modern Metrology № 1 (33) 2023, pages 265–271

Abstract. A simulator of lunar soil and lunar dust has been developed, designed for modeling various engineering processes in terrestrial conditions. The elemental and granulometric com­positions of the simulator were studied using X-ray fluorescence analysis, scanning electron microscopy and laser light scattering. The resulting material will be used in the future to simulate thermophysical processes when creating lunar power generating plants. The finely dispersed component of the simulator based on basalt wool will be used to study the filtration of lunar dust.

Keywords: lunar soil simulator, lunar dust, granulometric composition.

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