Abstract
Bearing load vs penetration curves have been measured on a 1.3 g sample of lunar soil from the scoop of the Surveyor 3 soil mechanics surface sampler, using a circular indentor 2 mm in diameter. Measurements were made in an Earth laboratory, in air. This sample provided a unique opportunity to evaluate earlier, remotely controlled, in-situ measurements of lunar surface bearing properties. Bearing capacity, measured at a penetration equal to the indentor diameter, varied from 0.02–0.04 N cm−2 at bulk densities of 1.15 g cm−3 to 30-100 N cm−2 at 1.9 g cm−3. Deformation was by compression directly below the indentor at bulk densities below 1.61 g cm−3, by outward displacement at bulk densities over 1.62 g cm−3. Preliminary comparison of in-situ remote measurements with those on returned material indicates good agreement if the lunar regolith at Surveyor 3 has a bulk density of 1.6 g cm−3 at 2.5 cm. depth; definitive comparison awaits both better data on bulk density of the undisturbed lunar soil and additional mechanical-property measurements on returned material.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Cherkasov, I. I. and Shvarev, V. V.: 1968,Zemyl. Vselenn. 2, 15.
Cherkasov, I. I., Kemurjian, A. L., Mikhailov, L. N., Mikheyev, V. V., Morozov, A. A., Musatov, A. A., Savenko, I. A., Smorodinov, M. I., and Shvarev, V. V.: 1967,Kosmich. Issled 5, 746. Translated inCosmic Res. 5, 636.
Cherkasov, I. I., Gromov, V. V., Zobachev, N. M., Musatov, A. A., Mikheyev, V. V., Petrukhin, V. P., and Shvarev, V. V.: 1968a,Dokl. Akad. Nauk. SSSR 179, 829. Translated inSoviet Phys. Dokl. 13, 336.
Cherkasov, I. I., Mikhailov, L. N., Morozov, A. A., Petrukhin, V. P., Shvarev, V. V., Mihkeyev, V. V., Smorodinov, M. I., and Zobachev, N. M.: 1968b,Inzh. Fiz. Zh. 14, 581.
Choate, R., Batterson, S. A., Christensen, E. M., Hutton, R. E., Jaffe, L. D., Jones, R. H., Ko, H. Y., Spencer, R. L., and Sperling, F. B.: 1969,J. Geophys. Res. 74, 6149.
Christensen, E. M., Batterson, S. A., Benson, H. E., Chandler, C. E., Jones, R. H., Scott, R. F., Shipley, E. N., Sperling, F. B., and Sutton, G. H.: 1967a,J. Geophys. Res. 72, 801.
Christensen, E. M., Choate, R., Jaffe, L. D., Spencer, R. L., Sperling, F. B., Batterson, S. A., Benson, H. E., Hutton, R. E., Jones, R. H., Ko, H. Y., Schmidt, F. N., Scott, R. F., and Sutton, G. H.: 1967b,Science 158, 637.
Christensen, E. M., Batterson, S. A., Benson, H. E., Choate, R., Jaffe, L. D., Jones, R. H., Ko, H. Y., Spencer, R. L., Sperling, F. B., and Sutton, G. H.: 1968a,J. Geophys. Res. 73, 4081.
Christensen, E. M., Batterson, S. A., Benson, H. E., Choate, R., Hutton, R. E., Jaffe, L. D., Jones, R. H., Ko, H. Y., Schmidt, F. N., Scott, R. F., Spencer, R. L., and Sutton, G. H.: 1968b,J. Geophys. Res. 73, 7169.
Costes, N. C., Carrier, W. D., Mitchell, J. K., and Scott, R. F.; 1970,Science 167, 739.
Eggleston, J. M., Patterson, A. W., Throop, J. E., Arant, W. H., and Spooner, D. L.: 1968,Photogramm. Eng. 34, 246.
Filice, A. L.: 1967,Science 156, 1486.
Halajian, J. D.: 1967,J. Astronaut. Sci. 14, 270.
Jaffe, L. D.: 1965,J. Geophys. Res. 70, 6139.
Jaffe, L. D.: 1967a,Icarus 6, 75.
Jaffe, L. D.: 1967b,J. Geophys. Res. 72, 1727.
Jaffe, L. D.: 1968,J. Geophys. Res. 73, 5297.
Jaffe, L. D.: 1969,Science 164, 1514.
Jaffe, L. D. and Scott, R. F.: 1966,Science 153, 407.
Karafiath, L. L. and Nowatzki, E. A.: 1968,Science 161, 601.
Kuiper, G. P., LePoole, R. S., and Strom, R. G.: 1966, ‘Interpretation of the Ranger Records’ inRanger VII and X. Part II - Experimenters' Analysis and Interpretation, Technical Report 32-800, p. 35, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
Lunar Regolith', inApollo 12 Preliminary Science Report, NASA Special Publication 235, 161, NASA, Washington, D.C.
Lunar Sample Preliminary Examination Team: 1969,Science 165, 1211.
Moore, H. J.: 1966, ‘Cohesion of Material on the Lunar Surface’, inRanger VIII and IX. Part II -Experimenters' Analysis and Interpretations. Technical Report 32-800, p. 263, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
Morozov, A. A., Smorodinov, M. I., Shvarev, V. V., and Cherkasov, I. I.: 1968,Dokl. Akad. Nauk. SSSR 179, 1087. Translated inSoviet Phys. Dokl. 13, 348.
Scott, R. F.: 1967,J. Geophys. Res. 72, 827.
Scott, R. F.: 1968,J. Geophys. Res. 73, 5469.
Scott, R. F. and Roberson, F. I.: 1968,J. Geophys. Res. 73, 4045.
Scott, R. F. and Roberson, F. I.: 1969,J. Geophys. Res. 74, 6175.
Scott, R. F., Carrier, W. D., Costes, N. C., and Mitchell, J. K.: 1970, ‘Mechanical Properties of the
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jaffe, L.D. Bearing strength of lunar soil. The Moon 3, 337–345 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561845
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561845