Off Planet Research Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants and Icy Regolith Simulants
Feedstocks For Our Lunar Regolith Simulants
Archean Anorthosite
Source: Shawmere Anorthosite Complex, Ontario, Canada
This rare material is mineralogically similar to lunar anorthosite. The Shawmere formation has been the preferred source of feedstock to make other Highland simulants because anorthosites from this formation are largely unaltered from their original state.
Basaltic Cinder
Source: San Francisco Formation in Arizona, USA
The source for this feedstock is the same source used for JSC-1 due to its mineralogical similarity to low-titanium basalt regolith found in the Mare regions on the Moon. This basaltic cinder has a high glass content which helps simulate basaltic regolith.
Additives for our lunar simulant
This is just a few of the additives we can include in our simulants. Please contact us for additional information or requests.
Ilmenite
This is a titanium and iron-based mineral that is also high in oxygen and is common in some lunar mare basalts.
We crush, sift, and recombine the ilmenite before blending it into our simulants to assure it has the correct particle size distribution. We can customize the ilmenite content of our Mare simulants to meet the needs of our clients. Our standard high titanium Mare simulants have 14.4% ilmenite.
Simulated Agglutinates
The agglutinate component of lunar regolith is critical for certain types of testing. Our simulated agglutinates are mechanically similar to lunar agglutinates. Agglutinates are formed by micrometeorite impacts into the lunar regolith, and are formed from the material in which they are found. The agglutinates included in our simulants are produced from their base simulant to better approximate lunar agglutinates.
Iron
We offer several types of iron (Fe) and iron oxide (FeO) that can be added to the simulant in a range of particle sizes. The iron is used to customize the composition of the simulant to match specific user requirements.
Additional Additives
Some other additives we can include are silicon dioxide, olivine, or augite. These may be of interest when trying to match a specific landing site composition.
Lunar Regolith Simulants
Below is a list of our general and specialized regolith simulants. We can also make custom simulants to approximate the regolith anywhere on the Moon according to currently available information or per customer request.
Contact us for our most updated simulant specifications.
OPRH2N, OPRH3N, & OPRH4N
General Highland Simulants
These are general representative Highland regolith simulants for the near and far sides of the Moon. The cohesion, particle size distribution, and geotechnical and terramechanical properties of this simulant are good approximations for Highland lunar regolith.
OPRH2N is a Nearside Highland Simulant with 70% anorthosite and 30% basaltic cinder, OPRH3N is a Farside Highland Simulant with 80% anorthosite and 20% basaltic cinder, and OPRH4N is a PAN Highland Simulant with 90% anorthosite and 10% basaltic cinder.
Agglutinates can be added upon request.
OPRL2N
General Mare Regolith Simulant
This is a general representative Mare regolith simulant modeled after the average samples of Mare regolith gathered during the Apollo missions. OPRL2N is 90% basaltic cinder and 10% anorthosite. The cohesion, particle size distribution, and geotechnical and mechanical properties of this simulant are good approximations for Mare lunar regolith.
Agglutinates can be added upon request.
OPRL2NT
Higher Titanium Mare Regolith Simulant
This is a general representative higher-titanium Mare regolith simulant modeled after the average samples of Mare regolith gathered during the Apollo missions. It is 75.6% basaltic cinder and 10% anorthosite and 14.4% ilmenite.
Agglutinates can be added upon request.
Simulants with Increased Magnetic Response
Simulants with an increased magnetic response include an iron-rich rim that approximates the embedded iron in lunar particles.
This line of simulant is customized to meet the client's specifications. Please contact us to discuss your test requirements.
The purple shows the 45 nm iron particles added to the exterior of an anorthosite particle. They are an inclusion on the particles, not a separate additive. Photo courtesy of the University of Washington.
Icy Regolith Simulants
Icy regolith simulants are customized to meet the client’s specifications so please contact us to discuss your test requirements. Please note these simulants are kept at low temperatures using either dry ice or liquid nitrogen and may contain hazardous or corrosive volatiles depending on your composition selection.
For the Moon, the volatiles found in the LCROSS plume include water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, methane, ethane, ammonia, and methanol. Other volatiles may also be present. We can also produce icy regolith simulants for Mars.
LCROSS Source: Anthony Colaprete et. al. "Detection of Water in the LCROSS Ejecta Plume," Science 330, 463 (2010).
Unicorn Simulant
Have a wild idea or a simulant wish that seems too far out there to be made a reality?
We want to hear about it and make it happen!
Contact us with your detailed request.