A team of scientists has now confirmed the existence of a large cave on the Moon, close to the landing site where Apollo 11 made history, the first mission that placed human beings on the lunar surface. Italian research into this phenomenon has hinted that such structures could also provide a safe, natural haven for future astronauts inside the Moon’s subsurface, shielding them from harsh conditions on the lunar surface.
The cave is located within the Sea of Tranquility and can be reached from the deepest known pit on the Moon, only 250 miles from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their historic first steps 55 years ago. As with more than 200 others identified on the lunar surface, this pit was formed by the collapse of a lava tube, a kind of underground conduit created by ancient volcanic activity.
Using radar data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the researchers judged that the cave runs at least 130 feet wide and possibly runs for tens of yards in length. “Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So, it was exciting to finally prove the existence of one,” said Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from the University of Trento.
That has huge implications for discovery. Such natural caves could offer priceless protection from cosmic rays, solar flares, and the impacts of micrometeorites that become major challenges to habitats made on the surface for future lunar settlers. In addition to this, the caves are already prepared to reduce the envisioned complexities and time associated with putting humans in habitats on the Moon.
The discovery also provides insight into the geologic past of the Moon. It is possible that rocks and materials held within these caves, for millions of years and protected from the most extreme conditions existing on the lunar surface, may hold crucial information related to its volcanic history and evolution.
Most of the pits appear to lie within the Moon’s ancient volcanic lava plains. Some pits could also exist at the Moon’s south pole, which is the proposed site for NASA’s astronaut landings later in this decade. The permanently shadowed craters in that area are thought to host frozen water that could be used for drinking water and as rocket fuel.
Hundreds of such pits could, therefore, exist on the Moon, with thousands of lava tubes. Such pits and lava tubes could offer a ready-made refuge from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorite impacts. Building habitats from scratch would take much longer and be more difficult when considering that reinforcement of the cave walls against collapse might be required.
NASA’s Artemis program aspires to send astronauts back to the Moon in the mid-2020s, emphasizing sustainability in lunar exploration, where potential caves could serve purposes associated with habitats. Joint efforts by space agencies around the world, such as the ESA and JAXA, are currently underway to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a lunar base using these findings related to lunar caves.
These caves are not only a potential shelter for future lunar explorers but also windows into the Moon’s past and stepping stones for humanity toward the stars. The Moon still holds many secrets waiting to be uncovered, and this makes one massive step toward their unraveling.
The discovery of lunar caves, therefore, would not only open the way for habitability but also open up new avenues for scientific exploration. Future missions could focus on the full exploration of these caves, with advanced robotics in mapping their interiors and assessing materials that may lead to new lunar resources or life forms, something scientists already speculate might exist in these protected environments.
It just goes to prove that human ingenuity and curiosity can do wonders. Whether they will become the future abodes of lunar residents or remain geologic enigmas, there’s one clear thing at hand: the Moon still holds many secrets yet to be unraveled. Just like that, the future of lunar exploration got interesting.