This mysterious hole on the Moon may open into a giant cave

NASA has selected the GIMLI project to investigate whether the Marius Hill Pit opens into a vast underground cave or lava tube. Using radar, seismic sensors, gravity measurements, and cameras, researchers will search beneath the lunar surface and estimate the size of any hidden void. Such caves could preserve clues to the Moon’s volcanic history and potentially provide protected shelters for future astronauts.

This mysterious hole on the Moon may open into a giant cave. MHP will be studied by PSI-led GIMLI, through the NASA PRISM program, to investigate a possible lava tube beneath the surface. If such a cavern exists, it could eventually offer astronauts natural protection from radiation and the dramatic temperature changes experienced on the lunar surface.

The project will receive funding through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program. PRISM sends scientific instruments to the lunar surface aboard spacecraft supplied by providers participating in the Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS) initiative. GIMLI Will Probe Beneath the Moon The selected project, known as the Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation, or GIMLI, is led by PSI Associate Director and Senior Scientist Than Putzig.