Moon cave discovery: Potential astronaut shelter unveiled

Scientists have confirmed the existence of a cave on the Moon, where astronauts could shelter.

They analyzed radar measurements taken in 2010 by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Their discovery was described in an article published in the journal "Nature Astronomy."

Researchers have described the cave in detail. It is located 250 miles from the Apollo 11 landing site. Only the initial part of the underground cavity is visible. According to scientists, it is at least 131 feet wide and several hundred feet long, possibly more.

"Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to be able to finally prove the existence (of one of them)," said Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from the University of Trento in an interview with AP.

According to them, similar cavities may be located at the Moon’s south pole, where NASA plans to land astronauts later this decade. It is anticipated that shaded craters and cavities may contain frozen water.

Natural caves may serve as shelters for astronauts in the future, protecting them from cosmic and solar radiation and micrometeorite impacts. The research team assessed that building settlements on the Moon's surface will be more time-consuming and challenging than reinforcing cave walls.

Analyzing rocks and other materials from inside the caves can also help better understand how the Moon evolved, especially about its previous volcanic activity.

During NASA's Apollo program, 12 astronauts landed on the Moon. The first were Armstrong and Aldrin, who reached the Moon on July 20, 1969.