ISSMGE Bulletin · Read the latest issue Member Login Join Search

TC310 Space Geotechnics

    1. Home
    2. Committees
    3. Technical Committees
    4. TC310 Space Geotechnics
img-theme

Space Geotechnics and Spaceborne Geo-sensing

  

Short name: Space Geotechnics (TC310)

Introduction:

Space exploration and the establishment of extra-terrestrial habitats have been a dream of humankind for centuries. However, the realization of this vision must be underpinned by robust geotechnical infrastructure and systems. Unlike terrestrial soils, planetary regoliths are formed under vacuum conditions, extreme temperature fluctuations, and varying gravitational fields, resulting in unconventional behaviours that often defy traditional Earth-based geotechnical principles and practices.

Early foundations for space-related geotechnical research were laid during the Apollo era, focusing primarily on the basic properties of lunar regolith. In recent years, as humanity transitions from space exploration to infrastructure development and sustained habitat (e.g., Artemis missions, Argonaut programme and Chang'e project), the field of space geotechnics and spaceborne geo-sensing has gained unprecedented momentum.

To this end, TC310 of the ISSMGE has been formed in order to coordinate, organize, and direct ISSMGE members efforts in this field. The committee aims to foster international collaboration between geotechnical engineers, planetary scientists, and aerospace industries to develop the technologies and technical recommendations necessary for the next era of human expansion into space.

 

Task Forces:

The following task forces are proposed, while more details will be openly discussed with TC members:

Task Force 1: Lunar, Martian and Celestial Granular Physics, Regolith Characterization, Laboratory testing, In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)

Task Force 2: Extraterrestrial Ground Investigation and Robotic In-situ Testing.

Task Force 3: Spaceborne Geosensing for Subsurface Mapping, Geo-digital twin, Climate change impacts on geotechnical infrastructures   

Task Force 4: Geotechnical Design and Construction in Lunar and Harsh extraterrestrial environments, Foundation Design for Lunar Stations and Landers


White Paper Workshop on Trustworthy and Explainable AI-for-Science Framework for Climate-Resilient Geoinfrastructure

White Paper Workshop on Trustworthy and Explainable AI-for-Science Framework for Climate-Resilient Geoinfrastructure

Co-organised by TC310 Space Geotechnics, we are pleased to invite expressions of interest for short presentations and poster submissions for this upcoming hybri

…

Read More

the 2nd International Workshop on Space Geotechnics, Regolith, and Granular Materials

Co-organised by TC310 Space Geotechnics, we are pleased to invite abstract submissions for the 2nd International Workshop on Space Geotechnics, Regolith, and Granular Materials (IWSGRGM 2027), hosted by San Diego State University from April 19-23, 2027. We look forward to your pa

…

Read More

The TC310 Space Geotechnics kick-off workshop

We are excited to invite you to the TC310 Workshop on Space Geotechnics! 
Join us for this hybrid event as we explore the future of geotechnical engineering beyond Earth.

Date: Monday, June 15, 2026 Time: 13:15 14:00 CET

 

 

 

Location: Austria


…

Read More

Objective 1: Dissemination

Disseminate knowledge and practice in the area of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering associated with Space Geotechnics and Spaceborne Geo-sensing:

  1. Conferences and Workshops: Organize specialty international symposiums focused on regolith mechanics and extraterrestrial construction.
  2. ISSMGE Sponsorship: Promote specialized sessions on Space Geotechnics and Spaceborn Geo-Sensing at the International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) and relevant regional conferences.
  3. Reporting: Encourage the preparation of state-of-the-art lectures regarding new technologies, such as spaceborne sensing, robotic in-situ testing and autonomous excavation.
  4. Benchmarking: Promote benchmark exercises to establish the capabilities of current theoretical frameworks in predicting regolith behaviour, granular physics in Lunar, Martian and celestial  bodies.

Objective 2: Guidelines & Recommendations

To establish some technical recommendations within the Space Geotechnics subject area:

  1. Laboratory and In-situ Testing Protocols: Establish technical recommendations for adapting terrestrial laboratory and in-situ tests (e.g., CPT, Vane Shear, GPR, Gravimeter) for space-rated robotic deployment.
  2. Spaceborne Sensing: Establish technical recommendations for spaceborne geo-sensing in relation to geo-digital twins, climate change impacts on geoinfrastructure, disaster management, etc.

Objective 3: Conference Assistance

Assist with technical programs of international and regional conferences organized by the ISSMGE:

  1. Technical Findings: Promote the presentation of TC findings, specifically regarding geotechnical characterization tools and methods, plume-soil interaction, seismic design, and the mechanics of volatile-bearing regolith, lunar foundation capacity, slope stability, regolith excavation, and the development of underground lunar habitats, in main ISSMGE discussion sessions.

Objective 4: Industry Links

Interact with industry and overlapping organizations working in areas related to the TCs specialist area:

  1. Industry Liaison: Identify and interact with organizations such as NASA, ESA, CSA, JAXA, CNSA, CNES, DLR, and commercial infrastructure firms (e.g., Fugro, NGI, Bechtel) to align academic research with mission requirements.
  2. TC Cooperation: Cooperate actively with other technical committees whose fields involve extreme environments, fundamental mechanics, space-born instruments or other innovative technologies, specifically:

TC 101 (Laboratory Testing): Laboratory Stress Strain Testing.

TC 102 (Site Characterization): Ground Property Characterization from In-Situ Testing.

TC 105 (Geomechanics): Geomechanics for Lunar / Martian Regolith

TC 204 (Underground Construction): Mapping and Utilization of Underground Lunar Lave Tube

TC 309 (Big Data and Machine Learning): AI technology in autonomous ground investigation.

JTC 2: Representation in the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) for Lunar Lava Tube stability.

# Type Full Name Country
1 Chair Zili Li Ireland
2 Vice Chair Pooneh Maghoul Canada
3 Secretary Qi Zhao Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
4 Nominated by TC Chair Marta Miletic United States
5 Nominated by TC Chair Pierre Delage France
6 Nominated by TC Chair Robert Anderson (NASA) United States
7 Nominated by TC Chair Sébastien Vincent-Bonnieu (ESA) Netherlands
8 Nominated Member Pedro Ferreira United Kingdom
9 Nominated Member Cihan Cengiz Netherlands
10 Nominated Member Sohail Kibria Pakistan
11 Nominated Member Dr. Mohsin Usman Qureshi Pakistan
12 Corresponding Member Xiaohui Chen United Kingdom
13 Nominated Member Francesco Cafaro Italy
14 Nominated Member Enrico Soranzo Austria
15 Nominated Member RAFAEL EDMUNDO Iglesias Alvarez de Araya Chile
16 Nominated Member Biao Li Canada
17 Nominated Member Bing Li Canada
18 Corresponding Member Pin-Qiang MO China
19 Nominated Member Hongyang Cheng Netherlands
20 Nominated Member Jingmin Xu Norway
21 Nominated Member Julijana Bojadjieva North Macedonia
22 Nominated Member YIfei Cui China
23 Nominated Member Hu Zheng China
24 Corresponding Member Xuesong Cheng China
25 Corresponding Member Fei Wang China
26 Nominated Member Pui San So Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
27 Nominated Member Rui Tao Norway
28 Nominated Member Vincenzo Nardelli United Kingdom
29 Nominated Member Tim Pucker Germany
30 Nominated Member Christos Vrettos Germany
31 Nominated Member D. NEELIMA SATYAM India
32 Nominated Member K. Muthukkumaran India
33 Nominated Member Anthony Leung Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Contact Technical Committee : Space Geotechnics and Spaceborne Geo-sensing

This message will be sent to TC310 Space Geotechnics officers