Materials/Regolith and in-situ
Regolith and in-situ
regolithWhat this is
Lunar and Martian soil, simulants, and things made from them.
Making materials on the Moon or Mars avoids launching them. Dust is both a resource and a hazard.
Types
Pick a type to see its materials.
| Type | Materials | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar simulants | 1 | — |
| Mars simulants | none yet | — |
| Sintered regolith | none yet | — |
| Lunar concrete | none yet | — |
| Extracted metals and oxygen | none yet | — |
What matters
The measurements we use to compare regolith and in-situ. Each one has a standard test and a direction: is higher or lower better?
| Measurement | Better when | How it is tested |
|---|---|---|
| Dust abrasion wearSurface lost to regolith grit | lower | Abrasion tests with simulants |
| Lunar day-night survivalCycles of the ~300 °C lunar swing survived | higher | Thermal cycling at lunar range |