There are many companies that make fake Moon dirt. It is called lunar regolith, which means "anything that makes you dirty", and is used to differentiate it from "soil", which means "organic material". Its chemical composition has been altered by constant bombardment from solar wind, and it is sharp, dusty, and jagged. The lunar regolith is weird and alien.
Multiple companies went out of their way to make it look like it. They need to test their hardware here on Earth because more governments and private companies are interested in lunar missions. They need to know how their landers and rovers and space suits are going to hold up in the desert. It isn't practical to cart barrels of regolith back from the Moon, so a cottage industry has popped up. No fancy lab process is likely to replicate millions of years' worth of solar wind, but modern simulations are good enough for space agencies and private companies to set their lunar equipment up for success before it ever touches down on the Moon.
The second fun fact is that one of the companies allows you to order their fake moon dirt on the internet. We did. In our studio, we looked at both the raw materials and finished products and spoke to Exolith about how they make their product. Check out the video above to see how our demonstration turned out.
Because lunar regolith is so dusty, it can be dangerous if you inhale it. Before we got our hands dirty, Exolith spoke to us about safety precautions. If you want to start your own collection, read up on safe handling first.
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