Scientists have discovered an accessible underground cave beneath the moon’s surface, located not far from where Apollo 11 landed 55 years ago. The cave, situated approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the historic site of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s touchdown, was identified through analysis of radar data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Comparisons with lava tubes on Earth supported their findings, detailed in the journal Nature Astronomy.
This discovery highlights the cave as a promising location for a future lunar base, offering shelter from the moon’s harsh surface conditions and potential support for long-term human exploration. Accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon, located at Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility), the cave is one of over 200 pits believed to have formed from the collapse of lava tubes.
NASA, alongside China and Russia, has expressed interest in establishing crewed bases on the moon. The requirement for such bases is environments shielded from cosmic radiation and possessing stable temperatures. These underground caves could serve as emergency shelters for astronauts, offering natural protection from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorites.
The identification of these pits, initially observed by lunar orbiters over a decade ago, suggests that many could be “skylights” leading to underground caves like lava tubes, which are large tunnels formed by volcanic activity (The Guardian).
