Colorado's new lunar surface simulator tested the durability of moon equipment
The Colorado School of Mines has constructed a unique test facility, the Mines Lunar Surface Simulator, designed to replicate the lunar surface environment. This large-scale testbed, filled with over 110 tons of high-quality lunar regolith simulant, is a critical tool for testing and evaluating lunar mission hardware such as rovers, excavation gear, landing and launch pads, and other infrastructure essential for sustained lunar exploration and development.
One of the facility's key users is Neurospace, a Berlin-based company developing the modular and self-repairing rover platform, HiveR. Neurospace is leveraging the simulator to refine HiveR's capabilities, making it suitable for lunar applications.
The simulator's unique characteristics include its scale and the use of a geotechnical lunar regolith simulant that closely mimics the actual lunar soil. This presents a significant logistical challenge due to the volume required to create a realistic moonscape.
The facility also supports testing of autonomous robotic missions like NASA’s ASPECT project, which involves a fully autonomous rover equipped for regolith excavation, boulder handling, and surface compaction – critical tasks for future lunar base construction.
Another company utilizing the simulator is Interlune, a Seattle-based startup aiming to commercialize natural resources from the moon, starting with helium-3 harvesting.
The construction of the simulated moonscape took over a year of planning and construction, with the structure designed to be dust-tight and waterproof to mimic the lunar environment accurately. A gantry system was built within the simulator to follow a rover's actions, and a rover motion capture system was developed to model rover mobility based on observation.
The testbed offers opportunities to support technology development from startups, established aerospace companies, and academia. Companies like Outward Technologies, which is advancing critical technologies for extracting resources on the moon, and the Colorado-based company building a rover named Eagle for moon exploration and commercial activity, are also benefiting from the facility.
Ian Jehn, an adjunct professor and structural engineer, is focused on creating safe and sound infrastructure for the moon at the Colorado School of Mines. His work is instrumental in ensuring the success of future lunar missions.
In summary, the Mines Lunar Surface Simulator is an essential tool for the development and validation of lunar systems under realistic surface conditions. It plays a crucial role in enabling future sustained human and robotic presence on the Moon.
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