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Lunar surface mechanical properties at the landing site of Surveyor 3

1968; American Geophysical Union; Volume: 73; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1029/jb073i012p04081

2156-2202

E. M. Christensen, S. A. Batterson, H. E. Benson, R. Choate, L. D. Jaffe, Rebecca H. Jones, H.Y. Ko, R. L. Spencer, F. B. Sperling, George H. Sutton,

Scientific Research and Discoveries

Analyses of engineering and television data returned by Surveyor 3 indicate that the mechanical properties of the lunar surface material inside the crater in which the spacecraft landed are similar to the mechanical properties of the level mare area at the Surveyor 1 landing site. The static bearing strength ranges from 2 to 6 newtons/cm2 for a penetration depth between 2 and 5 cm and a bearing diameter between 20 and 30 cm. The soil cohesion is less than 1 newton/cm2; its rigidity modulus is low. A substantial percentage of the particles of the lunar surface material appear to be smaller than 0.06 mm in diameter, and a significant number are under 0.01 mm. The fine structure of the surface can be deformed substantially by applying a small, distributed, compressive force.