The Search Institute for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has analyzed new images of the Moon, made by NASA’s lunar reconnaissance orbiter , and has discovered a possible habitable zone for humans. The photographs show what appears to be a series of tunnels on the surface, formed from the volcanic origin of the same satellite. Given this, scientists believe that it is possible that these conduits host a source of fuel for interstellar travel and could even provide shelter for people in the future.
One of the most accepted theories about the formation of the Moon postulates that it was configured from the collision between a body (similar in size to Mars) and the Earth in its young state (full of lava). The impact caused some fiery chunks of our planet to break apart, disperse, and finally (held back by Earth’s gravitational orbit) slowly coalesce into a sphere, the Moon .
The first years of the satellite’s life were characterized by great volcanic activity. With the passage of time, he aged and his temperature was progressively decreasing . The lava that circulated inside had increasingly compressed conduits. As the amount of lava decreased, more tunnels were exposed.
Some of these tunnels, close to the surface, collapsed. Precisely, thanks to these ‘ skylights’ , the existence of lunar lava tunnels has been known for some time. Previously, about 200 skylights have been identified, which should not be confused with craters, since the latter are nothing but holes caused by asteroids and meteors.
From the latest photographs, three clustered skylights were observed at the top of the Moon (15 to 30 meters wide). The last skylights located are found at the satellite’s poles , areas with characteristics very similar to those of the Earth due to their constant shadow and low temperatures.
The poles of the Moon have been classified as ” cold traps ” for being a place where water could have accumulated for millennia . In this way, scientists hope that tunnels under the surface will facilitate access to usable ice. This ice could hydrate an astronaut or be used to propel them into space. By splitting water molecules, lunar miners could isolate hydrogen gas and use it to power a rocket spacecraft or even to Mars. In addition, these tunnels could be a good refuge from cosmic radiation for future colonizers.
Training tunnels
With the goal of returning to the Moon in a few years to analyze an in-depth analysis, space agencies are using underground lava tunnels on Earth as training . However, these and those on the Moon will not be exactly the same.
On Earth, lava tubes can be almost 100 feet in diameter. Instead, the moon’s lower-gravity environment could allow lunar lava tunnels to be a kilometer (or more) wide and hundreds of kilometers long. Some scientists have suggested that this could allow for entire settlements under the satellite’s surface.
This will require higher resolution images to confirm that these latest discoveries are intact skylights at the end of a tunnel. At that time it will be determined whether the tunnels actually contain accessible ice.
According to Dr. Pascal Lee , the SETI researcher who discovered these new skylights, “If we can master lunar tunnels, moving to Mars can be much easier. The Red Planet also appears to have underground tunnels of volcanic activity, leading scientists to speculate that these could host the future of the human race . So that’s our neat dwelling. Now, all we have to do is figure out how to get there. ”
