Lunar Regolith as a Strategic Asset: Physical Hazards, Clinical Pathophysiology, and Geopolitical Implications of the Cislunar Resource Race

Abstract

Lunar regolith—long regarded as an inert surface covering—has emerged in 2026 as the most strategically contested substrate in history. This paper examines three interlocking dimensions of the cislunar resource race: the severe mechanical and thermal engineering hazards posed by dust’s extreme angularity and electrostatic behavior; the insidious clinical pathophysiology of prolonged human exposure, ranging from pulmonary fibrosis and mutagenesis to cardiovascular and neurological sequelae; and the geopolitical architecture shaping competition for water ice, Helium-3, and rare earth elements at the lunar South Pole. We argue that mastery of regolith—both as a hazard to be mitigated and a resource to be extracted—will determine which coalition establishes the normative framework for extraterrestrial governance in the coming decades