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


There is no news to show for this TC

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 United Kingdom
2 Vice Chair Pooneh Maghoul Canada
3 Secretary Qi Zhao Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
4 Nominated by TC Chair Marta Miletic United States

Contact Technical Committee : Space Geotechnics and Spaceborne Geo-sensing

This message will be sent to TC310 Space Geotechnics officers

theme-img

International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Contact Information

  • Secretary General - Dr A M McNamara
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Phone: +44 20 7040 8154
  • City, University of London
  • Northampton Square
  • London EC1V 0HB. United Kingdom

Copyright © 1999 - 2026 by ISSMGE. All Rights Reserved. Powered by ARGO-E GROUP.
FAQ Terms & Conditions