Scientists Confirm Moon Cave Near Apollo 11 Landing Site, Potential Shelter For Future Astronauts

Scientists have confirmed the existence of a large lunar cave near the Apollo 11 landing site, providing evidence of hundreds more potential caves on the moon.

Scientists have confirmed the existence of a cave on the moon, at the site where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and believe there are potentially hundreds more that could accommodate future astronauts.

According to AP, an Italian-led research team announced on Monday that they have found evidence of a large cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. This pit is located in the Sea of Tranquility, approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the Apollo 11 landing site.

The pit, like over 200 others identified on the moon, was formed by the collapse of a lava tube. Researchers utilised radar measurements from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter of NASA and compared these with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy, AP reported.

The radar data only disclosed the entrance of the underground cavity. The scientists estimate the cave is at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide and extends tens of yards (meters) in length, possibly more.

“Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to be able to finally prove the existence” of one, Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento have mentioned in an email, as quoted by AP.

The majority of the pits seem to be located in the ancient lava plains of the moon. There could also be some at the South Pole of the moon, where NASA plans to land astronauts later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters in this region are believed to contain frozen water, which could be used for drinking and as rocket fuel.

NASA’s Apollo Program

During NASA’s Apollo program, 12 astronauts landed on the moon, starting with Armstrong and Aldrin on July 20, 1969. The research advises that there could be hundreds of pits on the moon and thousands of lava tubes. These structures could provide natural shelters for astronauts, protecting them from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorite impacts. Constructing habitats from scratch would be more time-consuming and difficult, even considering the potential need to reinforce the cave walls to prevent collapse, the researchers noted.

Materials found inside these caves, unaffected by the harsh surface conditions of the moon, could also help scientists better understand the moon’s evolution, particularly its volcanic activity.