Regolith is the unconsolidated, heterogeneous layer of fragmented mineral and rock material that overlies coherent bedrock on planetary surfaces, including Earth, the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and other solid bodies. As a substance, it comprises varying proportions of rock fragments, mineral grains, dust, ice, and, on some planets, secondary alteration products such as clays or salts. Regolith forms primarily through mechanical and chemical weathering, impact comminution, and volcanic or sedimentary processes, and its physical properties—such as grain size distribution, porosity, cohesion, and volatile content—critically influence surface-atmosphere interactions, geotechnical behavior, resource potential, and the performance of in situ exploration and construction activities.
A team of geologists at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, the Institute of Space Sciences and the Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, all in China, has found evidence in soil samples collected from the far ...
Sometimes scientists must dig and work and sweat to make scientific discoveries. And sometimes a robot rolls over a rock that turns out to be a revelation.
Astrobiology
Mar 5, 2025
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290
On December 3, 2018, NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) successfully rendezvoused with the near-earth asteroid (NEA) 101955 Bennu. Over the next two ...
Planetary Sciences
Mar 3, 2025
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825
Mars, the next frontier in space exploration, still poses many questions for scientists. The planet was once more hospitable, characterized by a warm and wet climate with liquid oceans. But today Mars is cold and dry, with ...
Planetary Sciences
Feb 26, 2025
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64
An international team of engineers and space scientists has used a variety of assumptions, techniques, and math principles to calculate the energy requirements for using moon dust to create rocket fuel. In their paper published ...
A new paper released today documents the first soil, airfall dust, and rock fragment samples collected by NASA for return from Mars. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas astrobiologist leading the specimen selection team discusses ...
Astrobiology
Feb 6, 2025
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91
Burrowing under soil opens up a whole new world, especially when that soil is on other planets. Getting under the top layer of regolith on a world such as Mars could give access to a world still extant with life, whereas, ...
Space Exploration
Feb 4, 2025
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33
Among all the challenges of voyaging to and successfully landing on other worlds, the effective collection and study of soil and rock samples cannot be underestimated.
Planetary Sciences
Jan 8, 2025
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19
Imagine you've just gotten to Mars as part of the first contingent of settlers. Your first challenge: build a long-term habitat using local materials. Those might include water from the polar caps mixed with specific surface ...
Space Exploration
Dec 17, 2024
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75
The moon has a global dichotomy, with its near and far sides having different geomorphology, topography, chemical composition, crustal thickness, and evidence of volcanism. To better understand this dichotomy, Professor Xu ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 15, 2024
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46
