Study of lunar soil from terrestrial models (Canary Islands, Spain)

The Moon has a surface constituted mainly of basaltic materials. They are mostly vacuolar- like basalts that are also abundant in soils of volcanic origin on Earth. The geotechnical features of these rocks from the Canary Islands are supported by the basic characteristics deduced by NASA for this type of basalts. This paper deals with the geotechnical parameters of the lunar basalts taking into account the knowledge we have of the basalts from the Canary Islands used as terrestrial models as well as their suitability as building materials in future lunar bases. It is concluded that the lunar basalt, because of their abundance, ease of management and structural strength, is the best material for the construction of roads, tracks and even blocks with regolith for shielding of dwellings and facilities required on a lunar base.