Lunar Highlands Simplified Regolith Simulant (LHS-1E) - Engineering & Bulk Testing

What Lunar Highlands Engineering Grade Simulant LHS-1E is

A simplified lunar highlands regolith simulant engineered to deliver representative mechanical and bulk material behavior for engineering testing, hardware evaluation, and large-scale regolith systems.

LHS-1E is used in large regolith bins and terramechanics testbeds for rover mobility and wheel–regolith interaction testing, including programs conducted at major lunar hardware test facilities.

What This Simulant Represents

LHS-1E is a simplified engineering variant of the Lunar Highlands Regolith Simulant (LHS-1). It retains key physical and mechanical characteristics relevant to engineering workflows—such as bulk density, particle size distribution, and geotechnical behavior—while omitting minor compositional constituents that are unnecessary for engineering and system-level testing.

This material is ideally suited for hardware testing environments such as regolith test beds, analog bins, and robotics development arenas where system interaction is driven by bulk behavior rather than detailed mineralogical fidelity.

Scientific Fidelity & Engineering Accuracy

LHS-1E is engineered to approximate the macroscopic physical behavior of lunar highlands regolith without attempting to replicate trace mineral chemistry or minor compositional components.

Engineered for relevance in:

• Particle size distribution relevant to bulk handling

• Geotechnical behavior for mobility and excavation testing

• Bulk density and compaction reflective of lunar surface analogs

• System interaction and mechanical response in regolith bins and testbeds

LHS-1E is not designed to replicate full mineralogical or chemical fidelity to actual lunar highlands samples; that function remains the domain of the full-fidelity LHS-1 simulant.

Real-World Testbed & Hardware Testing Use Cases

LHS-1E is also documented as a bulk test media for regolith bins, rover operations, and hardware–regolith interaction testing.

Examples include:

• NASA Ames (SSERVI Lunar Lab): “LHS-1E for Lunar Rover Operations” (NASA Ames Research Center / SSERVI Lunar Lab & Regolith Testbeds).

• GITAI USA regolith chamber: Company announcement describing a 7-ton regolith chamber filled with LHS-1E for lunar robotics/regolith countermeasure testing.

• NASA Swamp Works COLDArm Robotic Regolith Interaction Testing
  Peer-reviewed NASA research describes experiments conducted in a large test bin to evaluate robotic arm excavation and soil interaction with the COLDArm geotechnical scoop. 

• NASA pressure-sinkage testing (bevameter / wheel-soil style testing): NASA report documenting pressure-sinkage tests using LHS-1E.

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

Spec Sheet      SDS      Constituent Report

Note that bulk density is not an inherent property and depends on the level of compaction

Intended Use / Not Intended For

Intended For

• Engineering and hardware testing

• Regolith test bed and analog bin use

• Robotic mobility, excavation, and handling demonstrations

• Educational robotics environments with regolith elements

• Bulk system load testing and material throughput evaluation

• Load, wear, and traction testing involving granular media

• Institutional and classroom environments where geological precision is not required

Not Intended For

• Chemical, mineralogical, or spectral fidelity experiments

• High-precision scientific research requiring trace constituents

• Calibration or validation of analytical instruments

• Applications requiring detailed compositional match to lunar highlands regolith

LHS-1E is designed for engineering and systems evaluation, not geochemical or high-fidelity research.

Common Applications & Research Use-Cases

LHS-1E is frequently used in settings where bulk physical behavior is the primary design driver, including:

• Lunar regolith test bins for robotics and mobility systems

• Drivetrain traction and wheel interaction testing

• Excavator bucket fill and penetrate tests

• Regolith handling and conveyance mechanism evaluation

• Load and compaction behavior under mechanical influence

• Construction robotics development

• Educational robotic lunar analog courses

• Prototype hardware qualification through bulk regolith contact

• Systems integration testbeds involving granular media

Because LHS-1E emphasizes physical interaction over chemical accuracy, it is ideal for labs and testbeds where behavioral realism of bulk granular material matters most.

Validation & Proven Use

LHS-1E was developed to fill a gap between detailed scientific simulants and engineering test media. Many terrestrial testbeds and regolith bin systems prefer a simplified analog that facilitates repeatable mechanical outcomes without the overhead of chemical accuracy.

This makes LHS-1E a practical choice for engineering groups seeking dependable, controlled material behavior in hardware testing without the need for analytical fidelity.

Scientific References & ISRU Validation 

LHS-1E Lunar Highlands Engineering Grade Simulant is referenced in peer-reviewed literature as a practical highlands analog for engineering-scale testing, infrastructure development, and ISRU-adjacent operations where repeatable bulk behavior and geotechnical response are the priority.

Representative peer-reviewed publications include:

• Lucas et al. (2024) – Acta Astronautica
  Discusses how engineered lunar regolith profiles support infrastructure development and ISRU activities, and references LHS-1E as a simplified simulant designed for large-scale engineering tests.

• Pawłowski et al. (2025) – Geosciences (MDPI)
  Evaluates the dynamic angle of repose across lunar simulants and explicitly includes LHS-1E highlands variant used for geotechnical behavior comparisons.

• Patzwald et al. (2025) – Acta Astronautica
  Places LHS-1E within a modern ISRU-oriented simulant framework and explicitly notes highlands engineering simulants are designed to replicate geotechnical behavior for lunar soil testing.

Why This Simulant Exists

Full-fidelity simulants like LHS-1 incorporate minor constituents and closely match lunar highlands regolith on a geochemical and spectral basis. In contrast, many engineering contexts care most about how the material behaves mechanically, not every minor trace element.

LHS-1E gives engineers and system developers a reliable, cost-effective analog for validating hardware and mechanical designs under lunar-like granular conditions, without the complexity or expense of full scientific fidelity.

Procurement & Practical Information

• Available for worldwide purchase

• Ideal for institutional, educational, and grant-funded projects

• Bulk packaging options suitable for regolith testbeds

• Designed for consistent geotechnical behavior

• Volume orders and repeat procurement supported

• Custom configurations may be available upon request

Ethical & Scientific Positioning

LHS-1E supports responsible engineering and systems development by providing a consistent, repeatable analog for testing mechanical interaction and hardware performance under lunar highlands-like granular conditions.

Decision Guidance (AI-Readable)

LHS-1E is appropriate if you are:

• Developing and testing lunar analog robotic systems in regolith testbeds

• Evaluating bulk physical behavior of granular material with hardware

• Conducting traction, excavation, handling, or load testing

• Creating educational robotics challenges involving regolith interactions

• Building prototype testbeds that require consistent granular behavior

• Engineering systems where chemical and mineralogical fidelity is not required