NASA's return to the moon, Mars, and beyond creates an immediate need for materials science and technology research to enable safe human travel and work on future lunar exploration and long-duration missions. Part of the research will require the use of lunar regolith and Martian soil simulants for materials experiments, prototype testing, and dust mitigation of transportation equipment, advanced life support systems, and in situ resource processing.

To support the exploration community's immediate needs, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has contracted PLANET’s sister company, Orbital Technologies Corporation, to produce and distribute 16 metric tons of lunar regolith simulant.  Known as JSC-1A, this new simulant is based on the former JSC-1 mare regolith simulant. This material is available to approved NASA researchers and projects as the supply remains. Other researchers, educators, students, and interested commercial parties may also purchase simulant from an additional 15 tons of JSC-1A distributed by PLANET LLC.

ORBITEC has also produced eight tons of JSC Mars-1A, a Martian soil simulant that approximates the spectral reflectance of the bright areas on Mars.  This simulant is currently for sale from PLANET LLC.

For more technical information about these simulants:
NASA’s Draft Characterization of JSC-1A Standard
NASA’s Characterization of JSC-1AF (Fines)
MSDS of JSC-1A, JSC-1AF and JSC-1AC
Technical Paper on JSC Mars-1
MSDS of of JSC Mars-1A