LUNAR GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES IN SITU EVALUATION FOR HUMAN EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES

摘要

The surface of the Moon is covered with a layer of fragmental debris referred to as the regolith. Unlike terrestrial debris layers - soils, the lunar regolith is formed primarily by the process of impact-induced mechanical degradation with additional modification due to space weathering. While a general understanding of the geotechnical properties of the regolith were determined from data acquired during landed missions, a great deal remains uncertain because explicit geotechnical experiments were few and analysis of returned material may not provide the appropriate in situ values in all cases. A series of focused in situ lunar experiments need to be conducted for potential landing sites covering the various local morphologic types (e.g., intercrater plains, crater rims, crater interiors, slopes) to provide the necessary geotechnical properties. In addition, electrical properties also need to be determined. The electrical properties are critical to understanding the potential for charging and charge transfer and for possible dust mobility. Because measurements need to be made in different morphologic types, mobility of the scales of a few to a few tens kilometers is required.