Scientists have confirmed the existence of a moon cave not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago. They suspect there are hundreds more that could potentially house future astronauts.
An Italian-led team reported on Monday that evidence points to a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon, located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Apollo 11’s landing site.
The pit, like over 200 others discovered on the moon, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.
Researchers analyzed radar measurements from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
The radar data reveals only the initial part of the underground cavity. Scientists estimate it to be at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide and several yards (meters) long, possibly more.
“Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to finally prove the existence of one,” wrote Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento in an email.
Most of these pits seem to be located in the moon’s ancient lava plains. There could also be some at the moon’s south pole, the planned location for NASA’s astronaut landings later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters there are believed to contain frozen water that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel.
During NASA’s Apollo program, 12 astronauts landed on the moon, beginning with Armstrong and Aldrin on July 20, 1969.
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The findings suggest there could be hundreds of pits on the moon and thousands of lava tubes. These natural shelters could protect astronauts from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorite strikes. Building habitats from scratch would be more time-consuming and challenging, even considering the potential need to reinforce cave walls to prevent collapse.
Rocks and other material inside these caves, unaltered by harsh surface conditions over the eons, can also help scientists better understand how the moon evolved, particularly its volcanic activity.
