Development of a High-fidelity C-type Asteroid Regolith Simulant

C-type asteroids are key targets for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) in thebackground of space mining. As a component of ISRU, space mineral processing playsa crucial role by cutting transportation costs while facilitating subsequent resourceextraction. However, relevant studies are hindered by limited asteroid samples andpoorly constrained physical parameters of asteroid regolith. To address this gap, thisstudy presents a novel methodology for preparing a high-fidelity asteroid regolithsimulant (ARS) using a synthetic process which mimics the formation history of C-typeasteroids. A C-type Asteroid Regolith Simulant (namely CARS-1) has been developedbased on compositional data from Ryugu samples returned by the Hayabusa2 mission.Characterization results reveal the proposed simulant displays a close agreement inelemental composition, bulk density, porosity, particle size distribution, and spectralreflectance. Based on testing results of the CARS-1, we further estimate the compressivestrength of Ryugu rocks to be around 40 MPa and the angle of repose of Ryugu regolithparticles to be 30-36°. The Ryugu regolith may exhibit moderately weak magnetizationscaling inversely with temperature. Finally, the feasibility of applying in-situ mineralprocessing technology on the surface of C-type asteroids is assessed, and severalrecommended processing strategies are proposed. This study has shed new light on thepreparation of high-fidelity ARSs and provided reliable testing materials for thedevelopment of space mineral processing