Moon Cave Discovery Key To Lunar Colonization?

Though humans have walked on the Moon, explorations have not been thorough enough to fully examine how similar the Moon is to Earth. We know that in the early life of the human race, our ancestors once resided in caves as a form of shelter. So, discovering that moon caves exist could allow modern humans the same form of temporary protection to start inhabiting the Moon until materials could be transported to build a more permanent base.

However, these Moon caves could help with more than just shelter. Scientists have long been in the search for signs that life existed on the moon at some point. With how exposed to the elements the exterior of the moon is, any remnants of life would have been highly damaged.

But any other life forms that did once live on the Moon likely also had the wherewithal to seek shelter, which means if there were going to be fossils or anything else that showed signs of life, they would likely also be in the caves.

Ironically, the cave that has been discovered was right in the vicinity of where Apollo 11 first landed in 1969. That means astronauts were likely within walking distance of making this discovery decades ago. But with confirmation coming now, scientists are positive that many other moon caves exist that could also be explored.

Scientists have also been able to determine that this Moon cave that was found must have been created millions of years ago when lava still existed on the moon. They say the lava carved through the moon and created these tunnels before drying up. These tunnels have better protection from the elements, which will also allow scientists to better gauge geological records.

Lorenzo Bruzzone and Leonardo Carrer at the University of Trento were the ones who discovered the Moon cave. The Italian scientists used radar to examine pits on the moon and discovered the cave that was beneath.

“It’s really exciting,” Professor Carrer said of the moon cave. “When you make these discoveries and you look at these images, you realise you’re the first person in the history of humanity to see it.” When contemplating the possibility of modern humans being able to reside within the cave, he believed it made sense. “After all, life on Earth began in caves, so it makes sense that humans could live inside them on the Moon.”

Now that NASA and scientists know of the moon cave’s existence, they plan to begin using robots to delve inside of it to explore how deep it goes. They believed caves existed on the moon decades ago, but this is the first official confirmation. It is also believed that any knowledge gained from studying caves on the moon could also help with discovering the same on Mars, which has also been discussed in many talks about colonizing one day.

Source: BBC