Caves on the Moon: Future Space Shelters?

In 2009 during NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, scientists found caves on the moon, but not until recently did scientists go back to look at the data from that mission and reevaluate it. New conclusions reveal that the caves happened to be lava tubes, which could offer shelter to future astronauts. 

Scientists have speculated for more than 50 years that lava tubes exist on the moon. The lava caves found in the 2009-mission reevaluation are a series of thousands of lava tubes formed over three billion years ago. The tubes were formed when lava flowed on the moon’s surface and then hardened, which created an outer layer or shell while the rest of the lava kept flowing on the inside, leaving hollow chambers behind. Then, over time, those lava tubes collapsed, making caves. 

Scientists found the first cave in the moon’s “Sea of Tranquility,” around 250 miles away from the Apollo 11’s landing site, which dates back to 1969. The cave is currently estimated to be around 130 feet wide and tens of yards long. Rocks from the inside of these caves are currently undergoing analysis, which could lead to interesting discoveries about the moon’s evolution. Depending on the stability of these caves, they may even serve as shelter for future astronauts during lunar missions.