Mars Global Hydrated Clay (MGS-1C) Martian Dirt Simulant

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

MGS-1C is a modified version of the root MGS-1 simulant, and is enriched in hydrated clay minerals (smectite). Four Cases were concluded in the NASA Mars Water In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Planning (M-WIP) Study. The MGS-1C simulant represents the Reference Case “C”; Case C is designated as a natural concentration of phyllosilicate minerals.

MGS-1C is specifically designed for ISRU water extraction studies; the M-WIP study concluded that hydrated clay deposits are advantageous for water extraction on Mars, and may be much easier to access and excavate than permafrost deposits. The water extraction testing is mainly to verify which types of regolith hold the most water. Some applications from the findings of this testing has led to using these simulant variants for construction processes, such as manufacturing clay components and utilizing iron oxides for sintering. 

For information on Mineralogy, bulk chemistry, and geotechnical properties, please see below:

Spec Sheet*      SDS       Citation 

Constituent Report

*Previous spec sheets and data for past regolith simulant batches can be found at bottom of page.

Publications: Cannon, K. M., D. T. Britt, T. M. Smith, R. F. Fritsche, and D. Batcheldor (2019), Mars Global Simulant MGS-1: A Rocknest-based Open Standard for Basaltic Martian Regolith Simulants. Icarus, 317, 470-478.

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