5 RECENT IMAGING OF ASTEROIDS, COMETS, AND SMALL MOONS SUCH AS PHOBOS HAVE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF A VARIETY OF REGOLITH DISTRIBUTIONS AND PATTERNS ON THEIR SURFACES. REGOLITH SPILLS ALONG SLOPES SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF AVALANCHES AND LANDSLIDES, WHILE ERODED CRATERS AND PONDS REVEAL THE ACTION OF VARIOUS REGOLITH FLOW MECHANISMS. SUBSURFACE JETS OF GAS ARE SUSPECTED TO CREATE DISTURBANCES ON THE SURFACES OF OLDER, DUSTY COMETS. KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIAL COHESION AND FLOW BEHAVIOR OVER VARIOUS TERRAINS WOULD ASSIST IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE NATURE (SHAPE AND SIZE) AND DEPTH OF THE SURFACE REGOLITH LAYER SOLELY BASED ON REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONS, AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES LEADING TO THESE SURFACE MORPHOLOGIES IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE EXPLORATION OF SUCH REGOLITH-COVERED SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES. THIS PROPOSED EXPERIMENT ADDRESSES OPEN QUESTIONS ON THE STATICS AND DYNAMICS OF REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES, INCLUDING: A) THE FLOW BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATERIAL ALONG SLOPES (LANDSLIDES AND AVALANCHES) UNDER REDUCED-GRAVITY CONDITIONS B) THE DISPLACEMENT OF GRANULAR MATTER IN RESPONSE TO IMPACT-INDUCED SEISMIC VIBRATIONS AND C) THE RESPONSES OF REGOLITH TO SUBSURFACE JETS OR GASEOUS OUTFLOW FEATURES, SUCH AS THOSE SEEN ON COMETS AND DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATTER IN LOW-GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY PLACING DIFFERENT TYPES AND SIZES OF REGOLITH-ANALOG MATERIAL INTO THE EXPERIMENT CELLS. THESE CELLS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH A DATA ACQUISITION AND STORAGE SYSTEM, THE KEY COMPONENT OF WHICH WILL BE VIDEO CAMERAS. EACH EXPERIMENT CELL WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH MECHANICAL COMPONENTS TO ENABLE THE INCLINATION AND/OR VIBRATION OF CELL WALLS. SOME CELLS WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH A WITH A SMALL AIR CELL TO CREATE A SMALL, CONTROLLED GAS PUFF OR JET IN SOME CELLS, EITHER FROM BELOW THE REGOLITH TO SIMULATE OUTGASSING, OR FROM ABOVE TO SIMULATE SURFACE DISTURBANCES DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. CHANGES IN INCLINATION WILL ALLOW EXPLORATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS ON SLOPED SURFACES. VIBRATION OF THE WALLS MAY BE USED TO ENCOURAGE SETTLING AND PACKING OF THE SYSTEM, OR TO INDUCE SEISMIC SHAKING OF THE GRANULAR BED. SMALL JETS OF GAS WILL BE USED IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE SURFACE DISTURBANCE AND THE COUPLING OF GAS AND DUST IN THE SYSTEM. WE WILL UTILIZE THE VARIABLE FLIGHT PROFILES PROVIDED BY PARABOLIC AIRPLANE FLIGHTS TO PRODUCE RELEVANT ACCELERATION LEVELS, FROM MICROGRAVITY (I.E. ASTEROIDAL SURFACES, ~0.01 G) TO LOW-GRAVITY (I.E. THE MOON, 0.16G). IN FLIGHT, A THREE-PERSON CREW WILL OPERATE THE EXPERIMENT CHAMBERS IN ORDER TO EXPLORE A RANGE OF REGOLITH DISTURBANCE MECHANISMS, INCLUDING THE REGOLITH SLOPES, VIBRATION PROFILES, AND CONTROLLED GAS PUFFS. EXPERIMENTS WILL BE RESET IN BETWEEN FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE SCIENTIFIC RETURN. THE DATA GATHERED IN THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENT WILL PRODUCE MEASUREMENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO REFINE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COHESIVE PROPERTIES, PARTICLE SIZE AND LAYER DEPTH OF THE REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF TARGET ASTEROIDS OR MOONS, WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION MISSIONS, AS IT WILL CLARIFY CHOICES FOR APPROPRIATE LANDING AND EXPLORATION SITES AS WELL AS THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPLORATION AND ISRU HARDWARE. Funding Only Action 0$ 5/27/20 Not listed RECENT IMAGING OF ASTEROIDS COMETS AND SMALL MOONS SUCH AS PHOBOS HAVE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF A VARIETY OF REGOLITH DISTRIBUTIONS AND PATTERNS ON THEIR SURFACES. REGOLITH SPILLS ALONG SLOPES SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF AVALANCHES AND LANDSLIDES WHILE ERODED CRATERS AND PONDS REVEAL THE ACTION OF VARIOUS REGOLITH FLOW MECHANISMS. SUBSURFACE JETS OF GAS ARE SUSPECTED TO CREATE DISTURBANCES ON THE SURFACES OF OLDER DUSTY COMETS. KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIAL COHESION AND FLOW BEHAVIOR OVER VARIOUS TERRAINS WOULD ASSIST IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE NATURE (SHAPE AND SIZE) AND DEPTH OF THE SURFACE REGOLITH LAYER SOLELY BASED ON REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONS AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES LEADING TO THESE SURFACE MORPHOLOGIES IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE EXPLORATION OF SUCH REGOLITH-COVERED SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES. THIS PROPOSED EXPERIMENT ADDRESSES OPEN QUESTIONS ON THE STATICS AND DYNAMICS OF REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES INCLUDING: A) THE FLOW BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATERIAL ALONG SLOPES (LANDSLIDES AND AVALANCHES) UNDER REDUCED-GRAVITY CONDITIONS B) THE DISPLACEMENT OF GRANULAR MATTER IN RESPONSE TO IMPACT-INDUCED SEISMIC VIBRATIONS AND C) THE RESPONSES OF REGOLITH TO SUBSURFACE JETS OR GASEOUS OUTFLOW FEATURES SUCH AS THOSE SEEN ON COMETS AND DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATTER IN LOW-GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY PLACING DIFFERENT TYPES AND SIZES OF REGOLITH-ANALOG MATERIAL INTO THE EXPERIMENT CELLS. THESE CELLS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH A DATA ACQUISITION AND STORAGE SYSTEM THE KEY COMPONENT OF WHICH WILL BE VIDEO CAMERAS. EACH EXPERIMENT CELL WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH MECHANICAL COMPONENTS TO ENABLE THE INCLINATION AND/OR VIBRATION OF CELL WALLS. SOME CELLS WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH A WITH A SMALL AIR CELL TO CREATE A SMALL CONTROLLED GAS PUFF OR JET IN SOME CELLS EITHER FROM BELOW THE REGOLITH TO SIMULATE OUTGASSING OR FROM ABOVE TO SIMULATE SURFACE DISTURBANCES DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. CHANGES IN INCLINATION WILL ALLOW EXPLORATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS ON SLOPED SURFACES. VIBRATION OF THE WALLS MAY BE USED TO ENCOURAGE SETTLING AND PACKING OF THE SYSTEM OR TO INDUCE SEISMIC SHAKING OF THE GRANULAR BED. SMALL JETS OF GAS WILL BE USED IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE SURFACE DISTURBANCE AND THE COUPLING OF GAS AND DUST IN THE SYSTEM. WE WILL UTILIZE THE VARIABLE FLIGHT PROFILES PROVIDED BY PARABOLIC AIRPLANE FLIGHTS TO PRODUCE RELEVANT ACCELERATION LEVELS FROM MICROGRAVITY (I.E. ASTEROIDAL SURFACES ~0.01 G) TO LOW-GRAVITY (I.E. THE MOON 0.16G). IN FLIGHT A THREE-PERSON CREW WILL OPERATE THE EXPERIMENT CHAMBERS IN ORDER TO EXPLORE A RANGE OF REGOLITH DISTURBANCE MECHANISMS INCLUDING THE REGOLITH SLOPES VIBRATION PROFILES AND CONTROLLED GAS PUFFS. EXPERIMENTS WILL BE RESET IN BETWEEN FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE SCIENTIFIC RETURN. THE DATA GATHERED IN THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENT WILL PRODUCE MEASUREMENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO REFINE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COHESIVE PROPERTIES PARTICLE SIZE AND LAYER DEPTH OF THE REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF TARGET ASTEROIDS OR MOONS WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION MISSIONS AS IT WILL CLARIFY CHOICES FOR APPROPRIATE LANDING AND EXPLORATION SITES AS WELL AS THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPLORATION AND ISRU HARDWARE. 0$ 5/27/20 Not listed RECENT IMAGING OF ASTEROIDS COMETS AND SMALL MOONS SUCH AS PHOBOS HAVE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF A VARIETY OF REGOLITH DISTRIBUTIONS AND PATTERNS ON THEIR SURFACES. REGOLITH SPILLS ALONG SLOPES SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF AVALANCHES AND LANDSLIDES WHILE ERODED CRATERS AND PONDS REVEAL THE ACTION OF VARIOUS REGOLITH FLOW MECHANISMS. SUBSURFACE JETS OF GAS ARE SUSPECTED TO CREATE DISTURBANCES ON THE SURFACES OF OLDER DUSTY COMETS. KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIAL COHESION AND FLOW BEHAVIOR OVER VARIOUS TERRAINS WOULD ASSIST IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE NATURE (SHAPE AND SIZE) AND DEPTH OF THE SURFACE REGOLITH LAYER SOLELY BASED ON REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONS AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES LEADING TO THESE SURFACE MORPHOLOGIES IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE EXPLORATION OF SUCH REGOLITH-COVERED SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES. THIS PROPOSED EXPERIMENT ADDRESSES OPEN QUESTIONS ON THE STATICS AND DYNAMICS OF REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES INCLUDING: A) THE FLOW BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATERIAL ALONG SLOPES (LANDSLIDES AND AVALANCHES) UNDER REDUCED-GRAVITY CONDITIONS; B) THE DISPLACEMENT OF GRANULAR MATTER IN RESPONSE TO IMPACT-INDUCED SEISMIC VIBRATIONS; AND C) THE RESPONSES OF REGOLITH TO SUBSURFACE JETS OR GASEOUS OUTFLOW FEATURES SUCH AS THOSE SEEN ON COMETS AND DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATTER IN LOW-GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY PLACING DIFFERENT TYPES AND SIZES OF REGOLITH-ANALOG MATERIAL INTO THE EXPERIMENT CELLS. THESE CELLS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH A DATA ACQUISITION AND STORAGE SYSTEM THE KEY COMPONENT OF WHICH WILL BE VIDEO CAMERAS. EACH EXPERIMENT CELL WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH MECHANICAL COMPONENTS TO ENABLE THE INCLINATION AND/OR VIBRATION OF CELL WALLS. SOME CELLS WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH A WITH A SMALL AIR CELL TO CREATE A SMALL CONTROLLED GAS PUFF OR JET IN SOME CELLS EITHER FROM BELOW THE REGOLITH TO SIMULATE OUTGASSING OR FROM ABOVE TO SIMULATE SURFACE DISTURBANCES DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. CHANGES IN INCLINATION WILL ALLOW EXPLORATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS ON SLOPED SURFACES. VIBRATION OF THE WALLS MAY BE USED TO ENCOURAGE SETTLING AND PACKING OF THE SYSTEM OR TO INDUCE SEISMIC SHAKING OF THE GRANULAR BED. SMALL JETS OF GAS WILL BE USED IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE SURFACE DISTURBANCE AND THE COUPLING OF GAS AND DUST IN THE SYSTEM. WE WILL UTILIZE THE VARIABLE FLIGHT PROFILES PROVIDED BY PARABOLIC AIRPLANE FLIGHTS TO PRODUCE RELEVANT ACCELERATION LEVELS FROM MICROGRAVITY (I.E. ASTEROIDAL SURFACES ~0.01 G) TO LOW-GRAVITY (I.E. THE MOON 0.16G). IN FLIGHT A THREE-PERSON CREW WILL OPERATE THE EXPERIMENT CHAMBERS IN ORDER TO EXPLORE A RANGE OF REGOLITH DISTURBANCE MECHANISMS INCLUDING THE REGOLITH SLOPES VIBRATION PROFILES AND CONTROLLED GAS PUFFS. EXPERIMENTS WILL BE RESET IN BETWEEN FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE SCIENTIFIC RETURN. THE DATA GATHERED IN THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENT WILL PRODUCE MEASUREMENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO REFINE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COHESIVE PROPERTIES PARTICLE SIZE AND LAYER DEPTH OF THE REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF TARGET ASTEROIDS OR MOONS WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION MISSIONS AS IT WILL CLARIFY CHOICES FOR APPROPRIATE LANDING AND EXPLORATION SITES AS WELL AS THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPLORATION AND ISRU HARDWARE. $0 6/17/19 4 RECENT IMAGING OF ASTEROIDS, COMETS, AND SMALL MOONS SUCH AS PHOBOS HAVE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF A VARIETY OF REGOLITH DISTRIBUTIONS AND PATTERNS ON THEIR SURFACES. REGOLITH SPILLS ALONG SLOPES SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF AVALANCHES AND LANDSLIDES, WHILE ERODED CRATERS AND PONDS REVEAL THE ACTION OF VARIOUS REGOLITH FLOW MECHANISMS. SUBSURFACE JETS OF GAS ARE SUSPECTED TO CREATE DISTURBANCES ON THE SURFACES OF OLDER, DUSTY COMETS. KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIAL COHESION AND FLOW BEHAVIOR OVER VARIOUS TERRAINS WOULD ASSIST IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE NATURE (SHAPE AND SIZE) AND DEPTH OF THE SURFACE REGOLITH LAYER SOLELY BASED ON REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONS, AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES LEADING TO THESE SURFACE MORPHOLOGIES IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE EXPLORATION OF SUCH REGOLITH-COVERED SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES. THIS PROPOSED EXPERIMENT ADDRESSES OPEN QUESTIONS ON THE STATICS AND DYNAMICS OF REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES, INCLUDING: A) THE FLOW BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATERIAL ALONG SLOPES (LANDSLIDES AND AVALANCHES) UNDER REDUCED-GRAVITY CONDITIONS; B) THE DISPLACEMENT OF GRANULAR MATTER IN RESPONSE TO IMPACT-INDUCED SEISMIC VIBRATIONS; AND C) THE RESPONSES OF REGOLITH TO SUBSURFACE JETS OR GASEOUS OUTFLOW FEATURES, SUCH AS THOSE SEEN ON COMETS AND DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATTER IN LOW-GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY PLACING DIFFERENT TYPES AND SIZES OF REGOLITH-ANALOG MATERIAL INTO THE EXPERIMENT CELLS. THESE CELLS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH A DATA ACQUISITION AND STORAGE SYSTEM, THE KEY COMPONENT OF WHICH WILL BE VIDEO CAMERAS. EACH EXPERIMENT CELL WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH MECHANICAL COMPONENTS TO ENABLE THE INCLINATION AND/OR VIBRATION OF CELL WALLS. SOME CELLS WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH A WITH A SMALL AIR CELL TO CREATE A SMALL, CONTROLLED GAS PUFF OR JET IN SOME CELLS, EITHER FROM BELOW THE REGOLITH TO SIMULATE OUTGASSING, OR FROM ABOVE TO SIMULATE SURFACE DISTURBANCES DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. CHANGES IN INCLINATION WILL ALLOW EXPLORATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS ON SLOPED SURFACES. VIBRATION OF THE WALLS MAY BE USED TO ENCOURAGE SETTLING AND PACKING OF THE SYSTEM, OR TO INDUCE SEISMIC SHAKING OF THE GRANULAR BED. SMALL JETS OF GAS WILL BE USED IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE SURFACE DISTURBANCE AND THE COUPLING OF GAS AND DUST IN THE SYSTEM. WE WILL UTILIZE THE VARIABLE FLIGHT PROFILES PROVIDED BY PARABOLIC AIRPLANE FLIGHTS TO PRODUCE RELEVANT ACCELERATION LEVELS, FROM MICROGRAVITY (I.E. ASTEROIDAL SURFACES, ~0.01 G) TO LOW-GRAVITY (I.E. THE MOON, 0.16G). IN FLIGHT, A THREE-PERSON CREW WILL OPERATE THE EXPERIMENT CHAMBERS IN ORDER TO EXPLORE A RANGE OF REGOLITH DISTURBANCE MECHANISMS, INCLUDING THE REGOLITH SLOPES, VIBRATION PROFILES, AND CONTROLLED GAS PUFFS. EXPERIMENTS WILL BE RESET IN BETWEEN FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE SCIENTIFIC RETURN. THE DATA GATHERED IN THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENT WILL PRODUCE MEASUREMENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO REFINE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COHESIVE PROPERTIES, PARTICLE SIZE AND LAYER DEPTH OF THE REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF TARGET ASTEROIDS OR MOONS, WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION MISSIONS, AS IT WILL CLARIFY CHOICES FOR APPROPRIATE LANDING AND EXPLORATION SITES AS WELL AS THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPLORATION AND ISRU HARDWARE. Other Administrative Action $0 6/17/19 Not listed RECENT IMAGING OF ASTEROIDS COMETS AND SMALL MOONS SUCH AS PHOBOS HAVE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF A VARIETY OF REGOLITH DISTRIBUTIONS AND PATTERNS ON THEIR SURFACES. REGOLITH SPILLS ALONG SLOPES SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF AVALANCHES AND LANDSLIDES WHILE ERODED CRATERS AND PONDS REVEAL THE ACTION OF VARIOUS REGOLITH FLOW MECHANISMS. SUBSURFACE JETS OF GAS ARE SUSPECTED TO CREATE DISTURBANCES ON THE SURFACES OF OLDER DUSTY COMETS. KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIAL COHESION AND FLOW BEHAVIOR OVER VARIOUS TERRAINS WOULD ASSIST IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE NATURE (SHAPE AND SIZE) AND DEPTH OF THE SURFACE REGOLITH LAYER SOLELY BASED ON REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONS AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES LEADING TO THESE SURFACE MORPHOLOGIES IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE EXPLORATION OF SUCH REGOLITH-COVERED SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES. THIS PROPOSED EXPERIMENT ADDRESSES OPEN QUESTIONS ON THE STATICS AND DYNAMICS OF REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES INCLUDING: A) THE FLOW BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATERIAL ALONG SLOPES (LANDSLIDES AND AVALANCHES) UNDER REDUCED-GRAVITY CONDITIONS; B) THE DISPLACEMENT OF GRANULAR MATTER IN RESPONSE TO IMPACT-INDUCED SEISMIC VIBRATIONS; AND C) THE RESPONSES OF REGOLITH TO SUBSURFACE JETS OR GASEOUS OUTFLOW FEATURES SUCH AS THOSE SEEN ON COMETS AND DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR MATTER IN LOW-GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY PLACING DIFFERENT TYPES AND SIZES OF REGOLITH-ANALOG MATERIAL INTO THE EXPERIMENT CELLS. THESE CELLS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH A DATA ACQUISITION AND STORAGE SYSTEM THE KEY COMPONENT OF WHICH WILL BE VIDEO CAMERAS. EACH EXPERIMENT CELL WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH MECHANICAL COMPONENTS TO ENABLE THE INCLINATION AND/OR VIBRATION OF CELL WALLS. SOME CELLS WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH A WITH A SMALL AIR CELL TO CREATE A SMALL CONTROLLED GAS PUFF OR JET IN SOME CELLS EITHER FROM BELOW THE REGOLITH TO SIMULATE OUTGASSING OR FROM ABOVE TO SIMULATE SURFACE DISTURBANCES DUE TO LANDING VEHICLES. CHANGES IN INCLINATION WILL ALLOW EXPLORATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS ON SLOPED SURFACES. VIBRATION OF THE WALLS MAY BE USED TO ENCOURAGE SETTLING AND PACKING OF THE SYSTEM OR TO INDUCE SEISMIC SHAKING OF THE GRANULAR BED. SMALL JETS OF GAS WILL BE USED IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE SURFACE DISTURBANCE AND THE COUPLING OF GAS AND DUST IN THE SYSTEM. WE WILL UTILIZE THE VARIABLE FLIGHT PROFILES PROVIDED BY PARABOLIC AIRPLANE FLIGHTS TO PRODUCE RELEVANT ACCELERATION LEVELS FROM MICROGRAVITY (I.E. ASTEROIDAL SURFACES ~0.01 G) TO LOW-GRAVITY (I.E. THE MOON 0.16G). IN FLIGHT A THREE-PERSON CREW WILL OPERATE THE EXPERIMENT CHAMBERS IN ORDER TO EXPLORE A RANGE OF REGOLITH DISTURBANCE MECHANISMS INCLUDING THE REGOLITH SLOPES VIBRATION PROFILES AND CONTROLLED GAS PUFFS. EXPERIMENTS WILL BE RESET IN BETWEEN FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE SCIENTIFIC RETURN. THE DATA GATHERED IN THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENT WILL PRODUCE MEASUREMENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO REFINE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COHESIVE PROPERTIES PARTICLE SIZE AND LAYER DEPTH OF THE REGOLITH ON THE SURFACE OF TARGET ASTEROIDS OR MOONS WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION MISSIONS AS IT WILL CLARIFY CHOICES FOR APPROPRIATE LANDING AND EXPLORATION SITES AS WELL AS THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPLORATION AND ISRU HARDWARE. $0 12/21/18