NASA finds ‘perfect cave’ on the moon or could be used to build a lunar base

NASA plans to return humans to the moon as early as 2025, with the goal of establishing a long-term base on the lunar surface. The agency hopes this will give astronauts enough time to conduct research that could eventually send humans to Mars and beyond.

Along the way, finding a safe place for astronauts to build a lunar base is critical to NASA’s exploration program, but the moon isn’t a friendly place for humans.

Since the Moon has no atmosphere or magnetic field, astronauts will be exposed to about 200 times the radiation on Earth. The lack of an atmosphere makes the Moon more vulnerable to meteorite impacts than Earth, so space rocks and impact debris are another big threat.

The moon’s day-night cycle lasts nearly 30 Earth days, so astronauts also need to adapt to 15 consecutive days of darkness or day. They also have to deal with extreme temperatures on the moon, which can drop to minus 137 degrees Celsius at night and 126 degrees Celsius during the day.

The underground tunnels (also known as lava pipes) formed during lunar volcanism more than 2 billion years ago may be the best solution to the problem of astronaut habitation.

Since 2009, astronomers have discovered 16 craters on the lunar surface that they believe were formed when the top of the lunar lava tube collapsed. Future astronauts might enter a lava tube through a lunar crater and build a lunar base inside the cave.

This would protect astronauts from space radiation and meteorite impacts, while still giving them direct access to the lunar surface. Now, new research shows that this will also help them avoid dramatic temperature swings on the moon.

Using computer models and data collected by thermal cameras on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the researchers have determined that the temperature of the shadowed part of a lunar crater remains around 17 degrees Celsius throughout the day and night cycle.

They believe this is because the pothole’s overhang prevents the pit floor area from getting too hot during the day, while also preventing heat from escaping the tunnel at night.

But getting in and out of the crater isn’t easy. Its base is 100 meters below the lunar surface, so entering it is like slipping off a 30-story building. But if NASA can make it work, astronauts won’t have to spend as much energy on a future lunar base climate control system.

David Paige, co-author of the study, said: “Humans evolved in caves, and when we were living on the moon, we might be back in caves.