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NASA NTRS · 20160005068

A Carbonaceous Chondrite Based Simulant of Phobos

Rickman, Douglas L.·Patel, Manish·Pearson, V.·Wilson, S.·Edmunson, J.
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Abstract

In support of an ESA-funded concept study considering a sample return mission, a simulant of the Martian moon Phobos was needed. There are no samples of the Phobos regolith, therefore none of the four characteristics normally used to design a simulant are explicitly known for Phobos. Because of this, specifications for a Phobos simulant were based on spectroscopy, other remote measurements, and judgment. A composition based on the Tagish Lake meteorite was assumed. The requirement that sterility be achieved, especially given the required organic content, was unusual and problematic. The final design mixed JSC-1A, antigorite, pseudo-agglutinates and gilsonite. Sterility was achieved by radiation in a commercial facility.

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Rickman, Douglas L., Patel, Manish, Pearson, V., Wilson, S., Edmunson, J.. 2016-04-11. A Carbonaceous Chondrite Based Simulant of Phobos. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20160005068

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