Lunar Mare (LMS-1) High-Fidelity Moon Dirt Simulant

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

Lunar Mare Simulant, LMS-1, developed by Exolith Lab, simulates the Lunar Mare regions on the Moon, which are the darker regions of the lunar surface. LMS-1 is a high-fidelity, mineral-based analog that is globally used for any educational or research use. This recipe was designed based on information collected from the returned Apollo Lunar Soil samples.   

The simulant is made of several terrestrial minerals, and accurately captures the texture of lunar regolith by combining both mineral and rock fragments (i.e., polymineralic grains) in precise  proportions.

The particle size distribution of the simulant is targeted to match that of typical Apollo soils. LMS-1 does not currently simulate agglutinates or nanophase iron, but Exolith Lab also produces Anorthosite Agglutinates which are available for sale here.

This simulant is commonly used by research institutes and organizations such as NASA, MIT, and Blue Origin for space hardware and ISRU testing. In addition, LMS-1 is used by many educational institutions for demonstrations on Lunar Geology and experiments like extraterrestrial agriculture such as plant growth. 

All of our simulants are an upgraded, high-fidelity alternative to the commonly known JSC-1A simulant.

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

Spec Sheet*  SDS 

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

Mineralogy

The individual minerals that make up our Lunar Simulants are available here

Bulk Chemistry

This table shows the relative abundances of each element detected by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The relative abundances of elements detected by XRF in geological samples are quantified as oxides. In the simulant, these elements are contained in the minerals described in the Mineralogy table above, and not necessarily in oxide form. These data are from the Hamilton Analytical Lab.

_{*Loss on ignition}

_{**Excluding volatiles and trace elements; see spec sheet.}

Physical Properties

Mean Particle Size: 91 µm

Particle Size Range: <0.01 µm – 1000 µm

Bulk density*: 1.56 g/cm3

Grain Density: 2.92 g/cm3

Void Ratio: 0.8718

Porosity: 46.6%

Angle of Repose (10g): 36.460°

Angle of Repose (250g): 36.827°

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

*Spec Sheet (Before 06/2021)

*Spec Sheet (6/2021-Current)

We would love to hear about the success of your research. If you have any information you'd like to share with us, please send us an email at exolithlab@ucf.edu.