Lava tubes are caves created by lava as it flows from a volcanic ventilation beneath a hardened surface. On Earth, these lava tubes can be found in Hawaii, the Canary Islands, Australia and Iceland. They range in diameter from 33 to 98 feet.
Lunar tubes on the moon and Mars could be longer than 25 miles, according to a new study using satellite imagery, radar data, observations of spacecraft from features called skylights belonging to collapsed lava tubes and digital terrain models of lava tubes on the moon and Mars .
The researchers compared these with lava tubes on Earth and found that lunar caves could be 1 kilometer in diameter, as 3280.84 feet – which could accommodate the tallest buildings on Earth.
Lower gravity, and how the volcanism is, scientists believe, could explain these exceptionally large tubes.
The lava tubes below the moon’s surface are so large that they can, in fact, hold the entire city center of Padua, said Riccardo Pozzobon, study co-founder and planetary geologist in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Padua in Italy.
The lava tubes below the moon’s surface have also remained largely intact due to low gravity. Any collapsed lava tubes on the moon are likely due to asteroid impact, the researchers said. And those skylights could actually give access to the tubes.
These lava tubes could help protect astronauts, as well as provide new information about the moon and Mars.
“The existence of stable enormous gaps in the lunar surface, potentially accessible via skylights, could change the paradigm of how we approach planetary exploration in terms of mission design, planetary human outposts and scientific research,” said Pozzobon and Franceso Sauro, author of studies and professor in the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Bologna.
“Access to these caves and (analysis) of this kind of underground environment will present new technological challenges, but also could lead to unexpected scientific discoveries.”
Explore caves on the moon and Mars
For astronauts studying the harsh environments and fluctuating temperatures of the moon and Mars, the lava flows could provide natural shelter from radiation, followed by micrometeorites and unstable temperatures.
Micrometeorites pose a danger not only to astronauts, but the habitats and life-saving equipment they need on the moon and Mars. The caves could be used to house and store equipment.
It is even possible that the pipes could provide access to water ice reservoirs, the researchers said.
“However, the challenges of accessing these caves and maintaining human activity are massive,” the researchers said.
The caves also have dangers and risks of their own.
The tubes are likely to contain boulders, sloping floors and shifting rocky material. If future missions plan to use the tubes, cranes or tethered descents may be needed to access the entrances, as they are likely to be more than vertical axes.
“Once below, we should not be too confident to find a flat floor (although it is possible), but instead of piles of collapsed boulders from the ceiling or from the walls, which are razor sharp and inflatable modules and space suits can damage, “the researchers said.
Astronauts could also illuminate their space well, as the rocks in the caves are likely to be pitch black. But power is a precious commodity, especially if you travel to the moon or Mars, so developing the right kind of lighting will be the key.
Studying the inside of these caves could reveal what volcanic activity was on the moon and Mars and when that happened. What’s more, such research could provide important insights into the interior composition of these planetary bodies.
The interiors of the lava tubes could also reveal niches that may have been ideal for life hosting (on Mars) or could have retained signs of past life, not destroyed by the sterilizing and ionizing UV / cosmic radiation that the surface and it affects the entire subsurface, “the scientists said.
Astronauts prepared for the trip
Astronauts preparing to explore such caves would need training in vertically engineered environments and cave exploration. These expeditions would also require preparation for the challenges of exploring a natural environment with uneven terrain, sharp rocks, rock falls and other unpredictable dangers, the researchers said.
This would include training for normal operating companies and emergencies.
Since 2012, these programs have trained astronauts how to explore underground caves and understand planetary geology, including lava tubes on Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands.
“To date, 36 astronauts from five space agencies have been trained in caving; in addition, six astronauts and four mission and operations specialists have received geological field training,” said Jo De Waele, study co-author and game scientist at the University of Bologna.
“It’s certainly a big challenge, but it’s now clear to all space agencies that although we already have a good knowledge of the moon’s surface, one of the most important steps forward for space exploration would be to demonstrate its capabilities. of exploring the subsoil of a planetary body, “Sauro said.
The call for ideas from universities and the space industry seeks new technologies that can be developed to land on the moon and explore lunar caves.
Next, the researchers want to learn more about these tubes, including creating 3D laser scans and understanding their chemistry.
“If we have a figure of their evolution of the subsurface through remote sensing, then we will be able to deliver the most promising goals for future space-robotic as well as human missions to begin the exploration of these features,” the researchers said.
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