Overview
The Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory (GMRO) studies the mechanics of materials in a launch pad environment, especially the mechanics of soil at Lunar and Martian spaceports; how to excavate the soil to prepare berms, landing pads, and roads; how to model the blowing of soil or other materials in a rocket exhaust plume to predict the blast effects. It also develops technologies for handling Lunar and Martian regolith, including excavator technologies, pneumatic transport of soil, and magnetic handling of soil. It studies the basic physics and geology of Lunar and Martian soil in order to support soil-handling technologies, including the particle sizing, particle shapes, bulk mechanical properties of the soil, soil compaction, field sampling technologies, and laboratory testing protocols. Another focus of the GMRO is advanced manufacturing methods using regolith for 3D Additive Construction technology development, sintering regolith materials and digital manufacturing of voxel elements. The GMRO lab develops robotic technologies to support surface systems and operations on planetary bodies, moons, asteroids and comets. Robotic construction and site preparation technologies are actively being pursued in support of future NASA missions.
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