Free Astronomy Magazine May-June 2018

MAY-JUNE 2018 A rtist’s impres- sion of a sur- face exploration crew investigat- ing a typical, small lava tunnel, to de- termine if it could serve as a natural shelter for the habitation mod- ules of a lunar base. [NASA’s Johnson Space Center, John R. Lowery] Right, a virtual tour in the Filolao Crater. [SETI Insti- tute, NASA] has already been demonstrated. The newly discovered cavities could give access to de- posits of this precious resource and there- fore be ideal places to establish the first lunar bases. Here is what planetologist Pas- cal Lee, discoverer of the three skylights, de- clared in this regard: “ Our next step should be further exploration, to verify whether these pits are truly lava tube skylights, and if they are, whether the lava tubes actually contain ice. This is an excit- ing possibility that a new generation of caving astro- nauts or robotic spelunkers could help address. Explor- ing lava tubes on the Moon will also prepare us for the exploration of lava tubes on Mars. There, we will face the prospect of ex- panding our search for life into the deeper under- ground of Mars where we might find environments that are warmer, wetter, and more sheltered than at the surface.” are between 15 and 30 meters wide and ap- pear completely dark due to the low eleva- tion of the Sun above the horizon. It is not possible to state with certainty whether these cavities allow access to one or more underground tunnels. Nevertheless, their position close to the lunar north pole makes them a primary target for future explo- rations, since the presence of ice water in the subsoil of high latitude lunar territories !