Martian soil-analogue VI-M1 for large-scale geotechnical experiments

Abstract

In the actively evolving research of Mars in recent decades, a special place is occupied by landers and rovers. The diversity of landscapes and soils on Mars, characteristic of terrestrial planets with an atmosphere, makes the development of soil simulators relevant for each new type of terrain in the area of a potential landing site. In the article, based on a comprehensive analysis of the physical and mechanical properties of soils at previous landing sites and a geomorphological analysis of the Oxia Planum plain, the main requirements for the properties of Martian soil analog at the landing site of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Mission (RFM) were determined. Readily available technogenic and natural materials have been selected and experimentally justified as components for creating a Martian soil analogue. A methodology for creating the soil analog is presented, and its physical and mechanical properties are measured. The developed Martian soil analog VI-M1 is actively used for large-scale natural experiments, including drop tests of spacecraft in the ExoMars series.