The moon is still fascinating for the scientists and explorers as fifty-five years have passed after the historic Apollo II mission. Recently, a series of subterranean caves was discovered by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter sent by NASA on the moon surface at the same site of the landing of the Apollo II mission. This discovery has opened new discussions about the scope of residence for the humans who want to make the moon habitable.
The Discovery of Lunar Cave Systems
These caves were discovered beneath the moon’s surface by using advanced radar imaging technology. Scientists named these caves as “subterranean voids”. Actually, these tunnels are interconnected and form a complex cave structure. It is assumed that they are formed from ancient lava tubes.
The area where Apollo II had landed is called Sea of Tranquility and the caves are present at the same location. The length of the largest cave is about 30 and 80 meters and its depth is around 130 to 170 meters. These long and deep caves are the result of cooling and solidification of lava once flowing beneath the moon’s surface.
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Benefits of Lunar Caves for Human Habitation
With the discovery of these caves, scientists predict that these caves will enable human to settle on moon. The lunar surface has a very harsh environment and these caves are extremely useful to save the inhabitants from the unprotected atmosphere of the moon which is not only unsafe with respect to the exposure to cosmic radiation but also there is a risk of meteorite impacts. These caves have a thick layer above them with solid walls which can serve as a shield against radiations and meteorites.
An additional benefit of these caves is the consistency of temperature. The moon surface faces soaring to scorching levels of temperature at the daytime whereas the temperature falls below the freezing level at nighttime. The walls of these caves will serve as insulators which will allow the habitants to use less energy resources to maintain temperatures.
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Challenges in Utilizing Lunar Caves
When we discuss the benefits then there are also challenges associated while making these caves habitable to humans. There is a major technical hurdle in accessing these caves. There are steep slopes at the entry points of these caves which make access to these caves more difficult. Special stairs and lifts need to be designed by the engineers, especially the lifts which can operate under the moon’s low gravity.
Furthermore, a complete structural study is also needed before starting any construction in these caves. This is because no one can be assured about the strength of the caves structure without proper investigation and there are risks of collapses. The mapping and scanning of these caves can be achieved by sending drones equipped with the latest equipment to investigate the inside structure.
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The Future of Lunar Exploration
More avenues of research have been opened after the discovery of these lunar caves. Now the future missions to the moon will be launched to collect the data through rock sampling. The minerals present in these caves will also be studied. Furthermore, these studies will not only provide information about the internal structure but also unveil how the moon surface was formed and evaluated.