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NASA NTRS · 20150016080

Asteroid Icy Regolith Excavation and Volatile Capture Project

Zeitlin, Nancy·Mantovani, James·Swanger, Adam·Townsend, Ivan
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Abstract

Icy regolith simulants will be produced in a relevant vacuum environment using various minerals, including hydrated minerals, that are found in C-type meteorites and in other types of planetary regolith. This will allow us to characterize the mechanical strength of the icy regolith as a function of ice content using penetration, excavation, and sample capture devices. The results of this study will benefit engineers in designing efficient regolith excavators and ISRU processing systems for future exploration missions to asteroids and other planetary bodies.

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Zeitlin, Nancy, Mantovani, James, Swanger, Adam, Townsend, Ivan. 2015-07-28. Asteroid Icy Regolith Excavation and Volatile Capture Project. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20150016080

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