NASA Selects GIMLI to Search the Marius Lunar Pit for a Potential Lunar Base Site
NASA has selected the GIMLI mission to investigate a lunar pit in the Marius Hills, which may lead to a large cave system suitable for future lunar bases. The project involves a partnership between the Planetary Science Institute, the Norwegian Space Agency, and Honeybee Robotics.
Why it matters
Identifying safe, shielded locations on the Moon is a critical step for establishing long-term human presence and infrastructure for the Artemis program.
The chief aim of NASA's Artemis Program is to create a "sustained program of lunar exploration and development." Beyond returning astronauts to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo Era, NASA and other space agencies hope to build the infrastructure that will enable regular, long-duration missions to the lunar surface. In addition to targeting the South Pole-Aitken Basin, NASA is eyeing lunar caves as a potential site for habitats and other lunar facilities.
Meanwhile, space agencies need to send large amounts of cargo and robotic explorers to the surface. This includes the Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation (GIMLI), a Planetary Science Institute-led proposal that will investigate a "skylight," a hole in an old lunar lava tube, to see if a large cave system extends beyond it. Such a location could provide a safe place for astronauts to operate on the surface in the future.
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