A huge cave on the moon could house future astronauts

Scientists have confirmed the existence of a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin previously landed 55 years, and they suspect that there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts, reports AP, quoted by dariknews.bg.

The Italian-led team announced on Monday that they have evidence of a huge cave accessible from thedeepest known crater on the moon. It is located in the Sea of Tranquility, just 400 km from the landing site of “Apollo 11”.

The pit, like more than 200 others found there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.

The researchers analyzed radar measurements taken by a NASA orbiter and compared the results to lava tubes on Earth. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

According to the scientists, the radar data revealed only the entrance to the underground cavity. They estimate that it is at least 40 meters wide and tens of meters deep, and possibly more.

“The Moon Caves have remained a mystery for more than 50 years. It is therefore exciting that we have finally been able to prove the existence of one of them,” Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento wrote in an email.

The findings suggest that the moon may have hundreds of pits and thousands of lava tubes. Such places could serve as a natural shelter for astronauts, protecting them from cosmic rays and solar radiation, as well as micrometeorite impacts.

Building lunar habitats from scratch would take longer and be challenging, even considering the potential need to reinforce cave walls to prevent collapse, the team says.