Caves May Give Opening to Establishment of Moon Base
Lunar lava tubes may assist in fulfilling order to NASA to establish “initial element of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030” as these caves shelter from radiation, meteorites, temperatures, CMEs; data from LRO evidences cave with stable temp of 17°C extending >60m from base of pit in Mare Tranquillitatis, although cave could extend many km; inflatable module inside would obviate sealing / pressurizing; proposed cave exploration by China, ESA, ispace includes tethered probe or robots: swarms, legged, flying; China taikonaut Ye Guangfu leads cave team for 5 nights at 8°C with psychology / emergency aspects after ESA cave training
Image Credits: CNSA, NASA
Artemis 3 Mission, To Land Next Man And First Woman On The Moon, Planned To Spend Up To 6.5 Earth-Days On Surface; Landing Announced For South Polar Region In 2024; Shackleton Rim Near South Pole Is Possible Site Of Future Settlement; Long-Term Radiation Exposure Expected To Be A Hazard; City-Sized Lava Tubes Discovered In Equatorial Regions Like Marius Hills Seen As Possible Shelters; GRAIL Gravity Probe Finds Moon Full Of Hidden Lava Tubes
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Scientist Laura Kerber Advocates ‘Moon Diver’ Mission For Exploring Lava Tubes, Continuing Campaign At 50th Lunar And Planetary Science Conference; First Goal Will Be Mysterious Pit In Sea Of Tranquility Location Of Apollo 11; Two-Wheeled ‘Axel’ Rover Would Descend 40-meter Pit Walls And Rappel Another 70 Meters Into Unexplored Space; Lunar Lava Tubes Will Be Potential Natural Shelters For Storage And Habitation; Moon Diver Would Launch In Mid-2020s Timeframe When USA Plans Human Landings At South Pole
