Design and validation of a deep low-temperature water-containing lunar regolith simulation preparation system

The Moon, as the celestial body closest to Earth, is a prime target for human deep space exploration. China’s “Lunar Exploration Project IV” aims to explore and sample the lunar polar region’s water-containing regolith. To effectively simulate the characteristics of this watery lunar regolith, this paper proposes a deep low-temperature preparation system. The feasibility of the system design is validated through theoretical and methodological analysis, including cold source selection, heat dissipation analysis, and energy consumption calculations. Subsequently, a deep low-temperature aqueous lunar regolith preparation system was developed, and tests were conducted to verify its performance. The results confirm that the system can generate water-containing lunar regolith at −238°C and maintain its temperature during drilling. This capability is significant for subsequent research on the drilling performance of deep low-temperature watery lunar regolith.