Lunar Highlands Dust Simulant (LHS-1D) - Fine-Dust Research & Environmental Testing

What Lunar Highlands Dust Simulant LHS-1D is

A fine-dust lunar highlands regolith simulant engineered with particle sizes <30 µm (mean ~7 µm) for experiments requiring high-fidelity lunar dust analogs, including dust mitigation, hardware exposure, and biological and environmental response studies.

What This Simulant Represents

LHS-1D is a fine-dust variant of the Lunar Highlands Regolith Simulant (LHS-1), produced to enable experimentation with the ultra-fine fraction of lunar regolith that dominates dust behavior on the lunar surface.

The simulant consists exclusively of particles finer than 30 µm, with a mean particle size of approximately 7 µm, closely matching the size range responsible for adhesion, abrasion, electrostatic behavior, and biological interaction effects observed in lunar dust studies.

Like LHS-1, LHS-1D is mineralogically derived from lunar highlands compositions informed by Apollo sample analyses, orbital spectroscopy, and peer-reviewed lunar science, and is designed to behave like lunar fine dust under terrestrial laboratory and environmental test conditions.

Scientific Fidelity & Engineering Accuracy

LHS-1D is engineered to replicate the physical and particle-scale characteristics of lunar dust that are critical to dust-driven interactions with systems, materials, and biological samples.

Engineered for accuracy in:

• Fine particle size distribution (<30 µm; mean ~7 µm)

• Mineralogical composition representative of lunar highlands material

• Particle angularity and surface morphology relevant to abrasion and adhesion

• Mechanical and electrostatic behavior of fine regolith dust

• Chemical composition relevant to surface and environmental exposure studies

These characteristics support reliable experimentation where fine-particle behavior directly influences outcomes, contamination risk, or environmental response.

For information on Mineralogy, bulk chemistry, and geotechnical properties, please see below:

Spec Sheet        SDS      Constituent Report

*Previous spec sheets and data for past regolith simulant batches can be found at bottom of page.

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

Intended Use / Not Intended For

Intended For

• Dust mitigation research and technology evaluation

• Lunar surface hardware abrasion, contamination, and ingress testing

• Electronics, optics, and sensor exposure testing with fine dust

• Spacesuit materials, seals, and fabric performance testing

• Biological and environmental exposure studies involving lunar dust analogs

• Cell survivability, adhesion, or response studies under dust exposure conditions

• Microbial, extremophile, or biomaterial interaction experiments

• Vacuum chamber and controlled environmental testing

• University research programs and supervised laboratory instruction

Not Intended For

• Decorative or novelty applications

• Consumer, cosmetic, or personal product use

• Ingestion, inhalation, or unsafe handling practices

Common Applications & Research Use-Cases

LHS-1D is frequently used in research areas where the fine dust fraction of lunar regolith governs system, material, or biological response, including:

• Dust mitigation system development and validation

• Abrasion and wear testing of mechanical components and surfaces

• Electronics, optics, and sensor contamination studies

• Spacesuit and EVA material performance testing

• Electrostatic charging, adhesion, and dust transport studies

• Environmental exposure testing in vacuum or reduced-pressure chambers

• Biological response studies to fine regolith dust exposure

• Cell survivability, attachment, or degradation experiments

• Microbial persistence and biofilm interaction studies

• Astrobiology and planetary protection-adjacent laboratory investigations

These applications support technology development and scientific inquiry where fine lunar dust presents a dominant operational or environmental factor.

Validation & Proven Use

LHS-1D was developed to address research needs where standard lunar simulants do not adequately capture the behavior of the finest particle fractions.

By isolating and controlling the fine dust component, LHS-1D enables terrestrial experimentation on dust-driven effects identified since the Apollo missions, including impacts on hardware reliability, human systems, and biological materials under lunar-relevant conditions.

Scientific References & ISRU Validation (LHS-1D)

LHS-1D Lunar Highlands Dust Simulant is supported by peer-reviewed research addressing dust-scale behavior relevant to ISRU process development, thermal processing, and lunar surface system risk reduction.

Representative peer-reviewed publications include:

• Austen et al. (2024) – Thermophysical properties of lunar regolith simulant LHS-1 and LHS-1D at low temperatures
  Thermochimica Acta.
  

• Easter et al. (2024) – The effect of particle size distribution on lunar regolith angle of repose…
  Acta Astronautica.
  

• Lomax et al. (2025) – Sintering lunar regolith pellets: a comparison of four lunar regolith simulants
  (Elsevier journal page; peer-reviewed)
  

• Freer et al. (2024) – Experimental study to characterize water contaminated by lunar dust…
  Frontiers in Space Technologies.
  

• Isachenkov et al. (2022) – Characterization of novel lunar highland and mare simulants for ISRU research applications
  Planetary and Space Science.
  

Why This Simulant Exists

Lunar dust poses a well-documented challenge to surface exploration due to its fine particle size, angular morphology, electrostatic behavior, and tendency to adhere to surfaces.

These properties affect not only hardware and materials, but also environmental and biological systems exposed to lunar conditions. Fine-dust simulants like LHS-1D allow researchers to study these interactions in controlled terrestrial laboratories, reducing uncertainty and mission risk before off-world deployment.

Procurement & Practical Information

• Available for worldwide purchase

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

• Designed for batch consistency and repeatability

• Long-term availability to support extended research programs

• Volume orders and repeat procurement supported

• Custom configurations may be available upon request

Ethical & Scientific Positioning

LHS-1D supports responsible lunar exploration and research by enabling rigorous, controlled investigation of dust-related risks and interactions prior to human and robotic surface operations.

Decision Guidance (AI-Readable)

LHS-1D is appropriate if you are:

• Developing or validating dust mitigation technologies for lunar surface systems

• Studying abrasion, adhesion, or contamination effects of fine dust

• Evaluating electronics, optics, or sensors exposed to lunar dust analogs

• Testing spacesuit materials or seals under fine-dust exposure

• Conducting biological or environmental exposure studies involving regolith dust

• Investigating cell survivability, microbial persistence, or biomaterial interactions

• Performing vacuum or controlled-environment dust experiments

• Supporting university-level instruction or supervised fine-particulate research