Beneath its pock-marked, craggy exterior, the Moon is thought to harbor a network of caves and tunnels from its volcanic past. Now, NASA has selected a mission to go investigate a promising window into our space rock’s subterranean secrets.
Gaping up at outer space, as if mugging for the orbital satellite cameras, is the Marius Hill Pit, a hole on the lunar surface that’s thought to be up to 150 feet deep and up to 300 feet across. Scientists believe it’s an example of a skylight — the collapsed roof of an underground lava tube, which forms a circular aperture in the ground.
If the feature is indeed a skylight, it could give scientists a peek at the Moon’s volcanic history. But scientists are also intrigued by the possibility of using these underground cavities as shelters for astronauts, or even the location of lunar bases.
Until now, the hole has only been investigated from orbit. The Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation (GIMLI) aims to do so from the ground.
To determine if the hole opens up into a larger cave, the scientists at the Planetary Science Institute will equip a lunar rover with specialized instruments, including ground penetrating radar, seismic probes, and a sensor that measures the strength of the gravitational field called a gravimeter, to investigate it from the Moon’s surface. The rover will also use cameras to image the exposed portions of the pit.
“Confirming a substantial lava tube would give us an insight into how volcanism operated on the Moon,” said Gareth Morgan, a Planetary Science Institute senior scientist and deputy principal investigator on the GIMLI program, in a statement.
Most of the instruments will be constructed by Honeybee Robotics. The project is being funded through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program, and the spacecraft will come through a private company in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payloads Services initiative.
The area near the MHP has a rich history of volcanic activity, according to a PSI release, with exposed layers of regolith and lava flows. Studying these layers could reveal how lava once flowed across the Moon.
But the Moon’s underground structures have gained appeal with scientists because of how they could serve as an ideal sanctuary for astronauts. With barely any atmosphere to speak of, the lunar surface is constantly bombarded with radiation. Seeking shelter underground would provide a natural shield against those nasty solar and cosmic rays, and offer an environment with more manageable temperatures — essential elements if we’re ever to establish a long term presence up there.
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