Static Geotechnical Characterization of Lunar Soil Simulants

Recent technological advances and the reinvigoration of NASA’s Artemis program have increased the feasibility of lunar habitats and supporting infrastructure, necessitating the development of specialized foundation systems capable of maintaining stability under transferred structured loads. Site investigation techniques, including in situ testing, sampling, and geophysical mapping, must therefore be adapted for lunar conditions, while construction using regolith requires an improved understanding of lunar soil mechanics. Foundations must also endure extreme thermal fluctuations, reduced gravity, radiation exposure, micrometeoroid impacts, and lunar seismicity to ensure long-term performance. Consequently, enhanced knowledge of the monotonic and cyclic geotechnical behavior of lunar soils is essential. Owing to the limited availability of in situ testing opportunities and returned lunar materials, high-fidelity simulants that replicate regolith behavior are required for experimental studies. This research investigates the static behavior of several contemporary lunar simulants and compares their responses with terrestrial benchmark soils. The results indicate that the overall stress–strain trends of lunar simulants broadly resemble those of terrestrial soils; however, the particle morphology and distinctive mineralogical compositions, including basaltic and anorthositic constituents, yield higher values of certain geomechanical parameters. Comparison with terrestrial datasets further suggests that carefully selected benchmark soils may facilitate the development of a next generation of lunar simulants with improved fidelity to lunar regolith.