Regolith Overburden Bag/Berm
Bulk Regolith Overburden Berm on Habitat Roof
A bulk regolith overburden berm is an in-situ radiation shield consisting of a 2 to 3-meter-thick layer of lunar soil piled atop habitat roofs to block galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles. Without a protective magnetosphere, surface installations endure unmitigated deep-space radiation. Compacted to a density of 1,500 to 1,800 kg/m³, a nominal 2.5-meter berm provides an areal density of 4,000 kg/m² and reduces galactic cosmic ray doses by 30 to 50 percent. Because raw lunar regolith is hydrogen-poor, engineering designs combine this external mass with internal hydrogen-rich polymers to capture secondary neutrons produced during cosmic ray impacts.
Bulk regolith overburden berm (2-3 m thick) piled on habitat roof for primary radiation shielding against GCR and SEP.
Purpose
Bulk regolith overburden berm (2-3 m thick) piled on habitat roof for primary radiation shielding against GCR and SEP.
Context
Child of L2-RAD-REG within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸2-3 m regolith reduces GCR dose by 30-50% (per CEAS Space J 2024)
- ▸Combined with internal HDPE for neutron+proton optimal shielding
- ▸Density 1500-1800 kg/m3 for typical compacted regolith
- ▸ISRU-derived — no Earth-launched shielding mass
- ▸Sloped sides for natural angle-of-repose stability
Typical implementations
- ▸NASA Artemis Base Camp regolith shielding concepts
- ▸ESA Moon Village berm proposals
- ▸ICON Project Olympus 3D-printed regolith structures
Lunar considerations
- ▸Wall of 50 cm regolith + 4 cm PE reduces dose-equivalent by ~5% (per NTRS 20110012713)
- ▸Lunar regolith hydrogen-poor — must combine with H-rich material for neutron protection
- ▸Secondary neutron RBE 4x previously recommended (Earth/Space Sci 2024)
- ▸ISRU robotic placement via L3-ISR-EXC-BWE haulers
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Bulk regolith overburden berm (2-3 m thick) piled on habitat roof for primary radiation shielding against GCR and SEP. |
| thickness m | 2.5 |
| areal density kg per m2 | 4000 |
| dose reduction gcr percent | 35 |
Physical
| mass kg | 100000 |
| materials | Bulk regolith (no processing), Optional sintered regolith bricks for slope stability |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 0 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 100 |
| mtbf hours | 1000000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Bulk shielding overburden
Requires
- Regolith feedstock
- Bulk transport from mining site
- Roof structure to bear overburden load
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Regolith Overburden Bag/Berm" (L3-RAD-REG-OVER). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-RAD-REG-OVER
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.