A prototype Mars regolith simulant (P_TO_MARS-1) exploiting the geology of the Piedmont region (NW Italy)

The mimicking of extraterrestrial soils is fundamental to the testing of rovers used to explore other planets. These simulants can also be used to help understand and optimize locally sourced concrete to better exploit in situ resources and to carry out research and feasibility studies on the possibility of cultivating edible food crops on other planets. In this scenario, the geological and mineralogical community has a fundamental role in trying to reproduce extraterrestrial simulated soils on Earth. We created a prototype regolith simulant for Mars starting from a study of the geology of the martian surface and by exploiting the geology of the Piedmont region and its array of rocks and minerals.