NASA Backs Mission to Probe Moon Lava Tube
NASA has approved the GIMLI mission to explore the Marius Hills Pit on the Moon to determine if it serves as an entrance to a vast underground lava tube. The project will utilize radar, seismic sensors, and gravimeters to analyze the subsurface structure.
Why it matters
Understanding lunar lava tubes is critical for future human exploration, as these structures could provide natural shelter and geological insights.
Select Preferred on Google News NASA Backs Moon Lava Tube Mission NASA has backed a new exploration project to determine whether a famous pit on the Moon leads into a vast underground lava tube.
The project, known as GIMLI, or Geophysical Investigation of the Marius Hills Pit Lava Tube and Interior, is led by the Planetary Science Institute as part of NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon programme.
The mission will target the Marius Hills Pit, a prominent lunar hole measuring about 34 metres deep and 65 by 90 metres across. It lies in an ancient volcanic region on the Moon’s nearside.
The existence of the pit has been confirmed through satellite imagery, but scientists do not yet have enough information to establish whether it extends into a larger underground cave system.
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