Development of a Library of Simulants to Support the Exploration of Primitive Bodies

摘要

An increasing number of activities require access to dedicated simulants to support the exploration of small bodies in the frame of the Human exploration program and the planetary science decadal survey 2013-2022. These activities include instrument design and testing, mission planning, sample curation, experimental research, etc. Targets of interest include comets, near Earth objects, Mars moons, and asteroids. We are working toward the development of a library of standard simulants that could support a variety of engineering and scientific needs. In this presentation we review the state of knowledge of small body materials and devise strategies for synthesizing low- and high-fidelity simulants. The production of high-fidelity simulants, especially of ice- and organic-rich materials, is challenging and requires dedicated facilities. This calls for a collaborative effort among relevant experimental facilities. We are planning to reach out to the community and get a better understanding of the high-priority needs that will help focus our efforts and identify potential collaborators.