For decades, researchers have speculated about the possibility of caves and tunnels beneath the moon’s surface. This week, an international team of scientists led by the University of Trento in Italy published a study in Nature Astronomy, providing conclusive evidence of accessible areas beneath the lunar surface. The discovery has significant implications for the construction of future lunar colonies.
In 2009, a team of experts identified a deep hole on the lunar surface, supporting the theory that underground caves may have formed as a result of lava cooling below the surface. The latest research builds upon this discovery, demonstrating the existence of longer underground conduits. “These structures had been hypothesized for more than 50 years, but this is the first time ever that we have demonstrated their existence,” says Lorenzo Bruzzone, coordinator of the research.
To make this breakthrough, the researchers analyzed data captured in 2010 by the radio-frequency instrument aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. By reviewing images of the Sea of Tranquility region, the team was able to reveal an emptied lava tube that could potentially be accessible to astronauts. “We analyzed these images with complex signal processing technologies and found that part of the radar reflections can be attributed to an underground conduit,” says Bruzzone. “This discovery provides the first direct evidence of an accessible rock tunnel beneath the surface of the moon.”
The researchers were able to construct a model representing the initial part of the tunnel, which is likely to be an emptied lava tube. The findings have significant implications for future lunar missions, as the moon’s environment is hostile to humans due to meteorites and radiation. Sheltered areas are therefore necessary for probe landing sites or long-term lunar infrastructure. Astronauts could potentially find shelter in these caves, making them a crucial component of future lunar settlements.
