Moon's Underground Caves Could House Astronauts, Hundreds More Suspected

The enigma of lunar caves, which have remained a mystery for over half a century, has finally been unraveled by researchers Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from the University of Trento. The existence of these mysterious subterranean structures was confirmed through their study. 
 
According to the scientists, there could be hundreds more such caves hidden beneath the moon's surface. This discovery opens up possibilities for human habitation on the moon using pre-existing underground caverns instead of building new infrastructure. 
 
The discovered cave is estimated to be approximately 150 feet wide and up to 260 feet long—slightly smaller than an American football field minus its end zones. It's located within a pit known as Mare Tranquillitatis that likely formed due to the collapse of a lava tube billions of years ago when active volcanoes covered the moon’s surface with flowing lava carving tubes across it. Over time, some tubes became unstable, leading to their collapse, forming pits like Mare Tranquillitatis. 
 
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has identified over 200 such pits on our celestial neighbor, suggesting the potential existence of numerous underground caves too. These could offer astronauts protection against harsh conditions prevalent on the lunar surface, according to research published in the Nature Astronomy journal. 
 
Living in these lunar caves comes with several advantages, including protection from extreme temperature fluctuations and harmful radiation due to thick rock ceilings, as pointed out by Katherine Joy, a professor at the University of Manchester who wasn't involved in this study. 
 
Given that the moon lacks the atmosphere necessary for climate regulation, resulting in drastic temperature swings ranging between around 250 °F during the day and below -200 °F at night, living inside lunar caves would ensure a consistent temperature, which, according to past studies, is quite comfortable hovering around 63 °F based on computer simulations conducted by a separate team studying the same region, Mare Tranquillitatis, back in 2022. 
   
However, reaching these deep-set locations wouldn’t be easy given they’re located over 400 feet from the surface, near the bottom of a steep slope filled with loose debris. Technological innovations such as lunar elevators or jet packs may be required to overcome this challenge. 
 
Going forward, radar technology can pave the way for the identification of more caves and tubes extending from open pits on the moon's surface. A spacecraft equipped with higher-resolution radar could potentially map the interior of all identified pits, offering a complete survey that would help in identifying the best locations for further exploration and setting up future moon bases. 
 
It’s also speculated that these lunar caves might harbor water—an essential resource for any potential permanent base on the moon. Scientists have known about the existence of frozen water just beneath the lunar surface, within permanently shadowed craters, and even sprinkled across sunlit lunar dirt, albeit less moist than the Sahara Desert. 
 
These underground caves being protected from harsh space vacuum and solar radiation could possibly house water ice, according to Bruzzone. Accessing this would not only facilitate drinking needs but also serve as a source for rocket fuel (hydrogen) and oxygen when broken down into its components, aligning with NASA’s plans for establishing a permanent base on the moon and serving as a launch pad for Mars missions. 
 
The study authors note that exploring different aged lava tubes and caves could offer insights into the moon's history, helping scientists understand past volcanic activity better.