Scientists Discover Moon Cave: Potential Future Home for Astronauts
News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/16th July 2024
For the first time, scientists have discovered a cave on the Moon that could serve as an ideal location for a permanent human base. The cave, which is at least 100 meters deep, is just one of potentially hundreds hidden in what researchers describe as an “underground, undiscovered world.”
With various countries racing to establish a human presence on the Moon, ensuring protection from radiation, extreme temperatures, and space weather is crucial. Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, suggested in an interview with BBC News that this newly discovered cave could be an excellent site for a base. She envisions humans potentially living in lunar pits within the next 20-30 years. However, Sharman noted the cave’s depth might require astronauts to abseil in and use jet packs or a lift to exit.
The discovery was made by Lorenzo Bruzzone and Leonardo Carrer from the University of Trento in Italy, who used radar to penetrate the opening of a pit on the Mare Tranquillitatis, a rocky plain visible from Earth and the landing site of Apollo 11 in 1969. This cave features a skylight on the Moon’s surface, leading to vertical and overhanging walls and a sloping floor that might extend even further underground.
This cave was formed millions or billions of years ago due to lava flows on the Moon, creating a tunnel through the rock. Professor Carrer likened the cave to the volcanic caves in Lanzarote, Spain, which the researchers visited to aid their study.
The discovery opens new possibilities for future lunar exploration and habitation, providing a potential safe haven for astronauts as humanity looks to establish a foothold on the Moon.
