Planetary Simulant Database
Free Resource for Regolith Simulant Information
Mineralogy
| Component | Wt.% |
|---|---|
| Albite | 31.1 |
| Saponite | 30.5 |
| Augite | 13.1 |
| Magnetite | 5.3 |
| Enstatite | 4.2 |
| Dunite | 3.9 |
| Anhydrite | 3.6 |
| Sanidine | 1.7 |
| Pyrrhotite | 2.9 |
| Selenite | 1.4 |
Bulk Chemistry
| Oxide | Wt.% |
|---|---|
| SiO2 | 44.97 |
| Al2O3 | 13.31 |
| Fe2O3 | 7.57 |
| MgO | 14.32 |
| CaO | 7.65 |
| Na2O | 2.23 |
| K2O | 0.08 |
| TiO2 | 0.77 |
| MnO | 0.18 |
| P2O5 | 0.09 |
| Loss on ignition | 8.33 |
Physical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Grain size | 0.5-3.0 μm |
| Mean grain size | 1.2 μm |
Y-Mars
Simulant Name: Y-Mars Mudstone Analogue
Availability: May Be Available
Fidelity: Enhanced
Developed By: UK Centre for Astrobiology
Available From: N/A
Publications: Stevens, A. H. et al. (2018), Y-Mars: An Astrobiological Analogue of Martian Mudstone. Earth and Space Science, 5, 163-174.
Y-Mars is a mineralogical analog of the Sheepbed mudstone investigated by the Curiosity rover at the Yellowknife Bay location in Gale crater. It was created by sourcing raw minerals or substitutes to match the quantitative mineralogy from ChemIn, except for the X-ray amorphous component that was not included. The minerals were ground to a fine powder then pressed into a pellet to simulate the burial pressure experienced by the Sheepbed mudstone.
Y-Mars was intended mostly for astrobiological applications; it is not known how much simulant has been produced, or the future plans for production/distribution.
Images
Photograph of Y-Mars from Stevens, A. H. et al. (2018) (left) compared to the Sheepbed mudstone on Mars (right):
