Planetary Simulant Database
Free Resource for Regolith Simulant Information
Mineralogy
| Mineral | Abundance |
|---|---|
| Portland cement (binder) | variable |
| Pumicite grains (aggregate) | variable |
Bulk Chemistry
No data available
Physical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Density | 0.15-0.67 g/cm3 |
| Porosity | 75.5-94% |
| Cone penetration resistance | 0.55-7.3 MPa |
| Unconfined compressive strength | 45 kPa-1.0 MPa |
MPACS Mechanical Porous Ambient Comet Simulant
Simulant Name: MPACS Mechanical Porous Ambient Comet Simulant
Availability: May Be Available
Fidelity: Standard
Developed By: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Available From: N/A
Publications: Carey, E. M. et al. (2017), Development and characteristics of Mechanical Porous Ambient Comet Simulants as comet surface analogs. Planetary and Space Science, 147, 6-13.
MPACS is a geotechnical simulant designed to replicate the mechanical properties of cometary nuclei surfaces. It was developed by JPL to have extremely low density, high porosity, and strength profiles within a desired range. The simulant is produced by mixing a commercial quick setting cement with finely ground pumice in water, then casting in a mold and curing for >21 days.
The recipe and procedure are available, and it isn’t clear whether there is any plans to mass produce or distribute the simulant to the community.
Images
Photograph of the MPACS simulant from Carey et al. 2017:
