Planetary Simulant Database
Free Resource for Regolith Simulant Information
Mineralogy
| Component | TUBS-M (wt.%) | TUBS-T (wt.%) |
|---|---|---|
| Basalt | 100 | 0 |
| Anorthosite | 0 | 100 |
Bulk Chemistry
| Oxide | TUBS-M (wt.%) | TUBS-T (wt.%) |
|---|---|---|
| SiO2 | 48.61 | 48.71 |
| TiO2 | 2.29 | 0.12 |
| Al2O3 | 13.28 | 30.33 |
| FeO> | 10.14 | 1.05 |
| MgO | 8.73 | 0.57 |
| CaO | 8.31 | 14.57 |
| Na2O | 3.67 | 3.05 |
| K2O | 1.71 | 0.22 |
| MnO | 0.18 | 0.015 |
| Cr2O3 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| P2O5 | 0.51 | - |
| LOI | 0.63 | 0.99 |
| Total | 98.09 | 99.61 |
Physical Properties
| Property | TUBS-M | TUBS-T |
|---|---|---|
| Grain density | 2.96g/cm3 | 2.71g/cm3 |
| Bulk density | 1.41g/cm3 | 1.18g/cm3 |
| Angle of repose | 41.9-45.8° | 37.91° |
| Particle size range | 0-2.0mm | 0-2.0mm |
| Median | 87μm | 87μm |
| Cohesion | 0.6kPa | 1.46kPa |
TUBS-M and TUBS-T modular Regolith Simulant System
Simulant Name: TUBS-M and TUBS-T modular Regolith Simulant System
Availability: Available
Fidelity: Standard
Developed By: TU Braunschweig, Germany
Available From: TU Braunschweig, Germany
Publications: Linke, S. et al. (2020), TUBS-M and TUBS-T based modular Regolith Simulant System for the support of lunar ISRU activities. Planetary and Space Science 180, 104747.
The TUBS-M and TUBS-T are part of a modular regolith simulant system being developed by TU Braunschweig in Germany. The goal is to be able to use two base simulants (TUBS-M = Mare; TUBS-T = Highlands) and combine them in any fraction to create site-specific mixtures. Then by melting and/or sintering, agglutinates and glass can be added to make advanced simulants which may be further modified by adding components like ilmenite, etc.
TUBS-M is made from an alkali-olivine basalt in Germany, and TUBS-T is from a Scandinavian metamorphosed gabbroic complex.
Linke et al. state that large-scale production of hundreds of kilograms will begin in 2019, and the simulants will be available to other groups.
Images
Images of the TUBS-M and TUBS-T simulants:
