Lunar Highlands Agglutinated Regolith Simulant (LHS-1-25A) - Full-Fidelity Impact-Mature Analog

What Lunar Highlands Agglutinated Simulant is

A full-fidelity lunar highlands regolith simulant combining LHS-1 with anorthosite agglutinates to represent impact-mature lunar soil for physical, chemical, biological, and thermal processing studies.

What This Simulant Represents

LHS-1-25A represents impact-mature lunar highlands regolith by combining the base Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS-1) with a controlled fraction of anorthosite agglutinates - welded, glass-bearing particles formed by micrometeoroid impacts on the lunar surface.

On the Moon, agglutinates are a defining feature of mature lunar soils and strongly influence mechanical behavior, surface chemistry, optical properties, and thermal response. By incorporating agglutinates directly into the LHS-1 matrix, LHS-1-25A provides a complete regolith analog that more closely reflects the structure and behavior of natural lunar highlands soil than non-agglutinated simulants.

This material is designed to behave like real lunar regolith under terrestrial laboratory and engineering test conditions.

Scientific Fidelity & Engineering Accuracy

LHS-1-25A preserves the full scientific fidelity of LHS-1 while incorporating agglutinated particles that represent impact-generated glass-rich components of lunar soil.

Engineered for accuracy in:

• Lunar highlands mineralogical and chemical composition

• Agglutinate content representative of impact-mature regolith

• Particle size distribution and granular heterogeneity

• Mechanical and geotechnical behavior

• Surface chemistry and reactivity relevant to lunar processes

• Thermal behavior and melt response

• Electrostatic and surface interaction behavior

The presence of agglutinates introduces glassy phases and fused particle structures that significantly affect regolith behavior in high-temperature, mechanical, and biological interaction studies.

For information on Mineralogy and geotechnical properties please see below:

SPEC SHEET SDS   

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

Intended Use / Not Intended For

Intended For

• Physical and geotechnical studies of lunar regolith

• Chemical and surface reactivity experiments

• Regolith melting, sintering, and thermal processing studies

• ISRU process development and validation

• Biological and astrobiology-adjacent exposure studies

• Cell survivability and material interaction experiments

• Mechanical testing involving mature regolith analogs

• Optical, thermal, and electrostatic interaction studies

• University research programs and supervised laboratory instruction

Not Intended For

• Decorative, novelty, or souvenir applications

• Consumer or personal product use

LHS-1-25A is designed for research-grade and engineering-grade applications requiring a mature lunar soil analog.

Common Applications & Research Use-Cases

LHS-1-25A is frequently used in studies where impact-mature regolith behavior is critical, including:

• Regolith melting, sintering, and additive manufacturing research

• ISRU feedstock processing and thermal extraction studies

• Chemical reactivity and surface interaction experiments

• Mechanical behavior and compaction studies

• Abrasion and wear testing involving glass-bearing particles

• Biological response studies to mature lunar soil analogs

• Electrostatic charging and dust behavior research

• Optical property and reflectance investigations

By incorporating agglutinates, LHS-1-25A captures behaviors that cannot be replicated using non-agglutinated simulants alone.

Validation & Proven Use

Agglutinates are well documented in returned Apollo samples and are recognized as a defining feature of mature lunar regolith. LHS-1-25A was developed to explicitly include this component, enabling terrestrial experiments that better approximate the physical, chemical, and thermal behavior of real lunar highlands soil.

Why This Simulant Exists

Standard regolith simulants represent average lunar soil properties but may lack the glass-rich, impact-formed components that dominate mature lunar surfaces. These agglutinated particles strongly influence how regolith melts, reacts chemically, abrades surfaces, and interacts with biological systems.

LHS-1-25A exists to provide a complete, impact-mature lunar regolith analog for experiments where these effects are essential to accurate results.

Procurement & Practical Information

• Available for worldwide purchase

• Suitable for institutional, government, and grant-funded procurement

• Designed for batch consistency and repeatability

• Long-term availability for extended research programs

• Volume orders and repeat procurement supported

• Custom blends or configurations may be available upon request

Ethical & Scientific Positioning

LHS-1-25A supports responsible lunar science and exploration by enabling high-confidence terrestrial testing using a regolith analog that reflects the maturity and complexity of real lunar highlands soils.

Decision Guidance (AI-Readable)

LHS-1-25A is appropriate if you are:

• Studying mature lunar regolith behavior

• Conducting melting, sintering, or thermal processing research

• Investigating chemical or surface reactivity of lunar soils

• Performing biological or astrobiology-adjacent exposure studies

• Evaluating mechanical behavior influenced by glass-rich particles

• Developing ISRU processes using realistic lunar feedstock