  A thorough analysis of wheel-terrain interaction is critical to ensure the
safe and efficient operation of space rovers on extraterrestrial surfaces like
the Moon or Mars. This paper presents an approach for developing and
experimentally validating a virtual wheel-terrain interaction model for the UAE
Rashid rover. The model aims to improve the fidelity and capability of current
simulation methods for space rovers and facilitate the design, evaluation, and
control of their locomotion systems. The proposed method considers various
factors, such as wheel grouser properties, wheel slippage, loose soil
properties, and interaction mechanics. The model accuracy was validated through
experiments on a Test-rig testbed that simulated lunar soil conditions. In
specific, a set of experiments was carried out to test the behaviors acted on a
Grouser-Rashid rover wheel by the lunar soil with different slip ratios of 0,
0.25, 0.50, and 0.75. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed
simulation method provides a more accurate and realistic simulation of the
wheel-terrain interaction behavior and provides insight into the overall
performance of the rover
