Elucidating Fundamental Mechanical Properties of Asteroids: Simulant Formulation, Experimental Testing, and Numerical Modeling

Principal Investigator: Madura Pathirage, Ph.D.

Co-PI: Maryam Hojati, Ph.D.

Affiliation/Dept: University of New Mexico, Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

Description: Asteroids, remnants from the early solar system, contain silicates, iron, and nickel, which are also found in various forms of concrete. Understanding the mechanical responses of asteroids
and their impacts is crucial for informing planetary defense strategies and resource utilization
for future space exploration. This project focuses on developing a cement-based simulant that
mimics the mechanical properties of monolithic asteroids, addressing a critical gap in planetary
science. Inspired by the well-documented characteristics of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, the
goal is to replicate key mechanical properties such as compressive strength, elastic modulus,
Poisson's ratio, tensile strength, and fracture energy, allowing concrete to act as an artificial
stone with similar mechanical properties to asteroids. To achieve this, the project will optimize
a Portland cement mix by adjusting the water-to-cement ratio to control porosity, a critical
factor in mechanical behavior. Specialized admixtures, including silica fume, fly ash, and
ground granulated blast-furnace slag, will be incorporated to enhance the simulant's
toughness. The first phase of the project will involve extensive experimental testing and
exploration of different material combinations to fine-tune mechanical performance. The
second phase will focus on developing a numerical model based on the experimental results.
Using a Voronoi-based lattice model, this approach will simulate the behavior of asteroids
under spinning conditions, enabling researchers to predict currently unknown failure
mechanisms and strength characteristics. The outcomes of this study could significantly
enhance our understanding of asteroid mechanics and inform future asteroid mining efforts.

Towards a Scalable and Efficient Answer Set Programming Based Approach to Solving eVTOLs Scheduling Problems

Principal Investigaor: Son Tran, Ph.D.

Affiliation/Dept: New Mexico State University, Department of Computer Science

Description: The overarching goal of this project is to develop a scalable and efficient system for
scheduling of electric vertical-take-off-and-landing aircrafts (eVTOLs) using answer set
programming (ASP). Consider the challenges in using ASP to solving this problem and the
time frame of this project (1 year), the PI proposes the following tasks: (1) develop an ASPbased
system that can deal with eVTOLs scheduling problems of large problems (at least 100
eVTOLs and 10 vertiports); (2) investigate methods for approximating optimized solutions;
and (3) introduce the notion of a fair schedule and develop methodologies for generating fair
schedules.