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Why might lunar soil be useful for shielding Moon habitats from radiation?

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near and far sides of Earth's Moon — Moon (Left) Near side of Earth's Moon, photographed by the Galileo spacecraft on its way to Jupiter. (Right) Far side of the Moon with some of the near side visible (upper right), photographed by the Apollo 16 spacecraft.

Lunar soil, or regolith, is considered a vital resource for shielding Moon habitats because it can protect human occupants from the harsh radiation environment of space.1

Extended human residence on the Moon faces significant hazards from high-energy radiation, including solar energetic particles and cosmic rays, which can cause severe health issues such as radiation sickness, DNA damage, and cancer. Because transporting heavy shielding materials from Earth is prohibitively expensive, utilizing local lunar materials is a more practical and sustainable solution for long-term habitation.231

In addition to its potential as a radiation barrier, the top layer of regolith acts as an efficient thermal insulator due to its high porosity, helping to mitigate the extreme temperature fluctuations experienced on the lunar surface. By using this abundant, locally available material to cover surface laboratories and habitats, space planners aim to create a safer environment for astronauts while minimizing the logistical costs of space exploration.421