Hidden Lunar Cave Discovered: The Future Home for Moon Colonists?

16th Jul 2024
Hidden Lunar Cave Discovered: The Future Home for Moon Colonists?

Scientists have uncovered signs of a vast subterranean cave on the moon, which can be reached from the surface. This newly discovered cave holds promise as a prime site for establishing a future lunar base.

Discovery and Analysis

The cave, accessible via a pit in the Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility), the historic landing site of Apollo 11, has been identified through radar data collected by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). This pit, the deepest known on the moon, leads to a cave measuring 45 meters wide and up to 80 meters long, comparable to the size of 14 tennis courts, and lies approximately 150 meters beneath the surface.

Lorenzo Bruzzone from the University of Trento, Italy, suggests the cave is “probably an empty lava tube,” which could serve as a natural shelter against the moon’s harsh environment for future explorers. Such structures offer stable temperatures and protection from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorites.

Historical Context and Implications

Lunar orbiters have been spotting pits on the moon for over a decade, many of which are believed to be “skylights” connecting to underground caves formed by volcanic activity. Due to their inherent protective qualities, these lava tubes could be crucial for establishing a moonbase or emergency shelters.

Previous LRO images revealed the Mare Tranquillitatis pit’s floor covered with boulders up to 10 meters wide. However, it was unclear if the pit led to an enclosed space or an entry point to a more extensive cave system, potentially formed by a collapsed lava tube roof.

Published in Nature Astronomy, the study used LRO data and computer simulations to demonstrate that the 100-meter-wide pit, bordered by steep walls, leads to a sloping floor and a cave extending tens of meters westward. 

Researchers aim to study these caves to gain insights into the moon’s formation, volcanic history, and potential water ice reserves, essential for long-term lunar missions and colonization.

Moon cave for future space mission
Many lunar pits are thought to connect to underground caves such as lava tubes, giant underground tunnels that form through volcanic processes. Credit: NASA

Future Prospects

At least 200 pits, many on lava fields, have been identified on the moon. These features could serve as entrances to expansive lava tubes. Leonardo Carrer, the study’s first author, notes that caves provide ready-made structural components for a human base, reducing the need for complex construction.

Space agencies are now considering how to assess and reinforce the structural stability of these caves for future human habitation. 

Katherine Joy, a professor at the University of Manchester, highlights the potential of these thick rock ceilings to protect the lunar surface from temperature variations and high-energy radiation. 

Challenges Ahead

One of the primary challenges is accessibility. Robert Wagner from Arizona State University points out that descending 125 meters into the pit with its steep, debris-covered rim will require significant infrastructure to ensure safe entry and exit, marking it as a considerable yet feasible engineering challenge.

As preparations for human return to the moon advance, these findings may play a crucial role in shaping future lunar exploration and habitation strategies.

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