Air Evacuation from a Lunar Soil in a Vacuum Chamber

In situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology in lunar exploration is becoming more important, and the interest in lunar soil that covers the lunar surface is growing. However, most existing lunar environment simulation facilities mainly provide pressure and temperature conditions of the moon without considering lunar regolith. To reduce the risk of failure of systems on the lunar surface, system validation testing in the lunar surface environment including regolith bed is required. When soil is put into a vacuum, chamber and pumping-down process is started, soil disturbance phenomenon is observed, and it disturbs testing conditions and could make trouble of the vacuum chamber system. We have succeeded in creating a vacuum environment without soil disturbance by reducing pumping down speed, and we developed a lunar surface environment simulator including lunar soil. The new lunar surface environment simulation facility will enable more reliable lunar surface environment testing and foster lunar ISRU technology development.