Brief
NASA selects GIMLI mission to probe possible lunar lava‑tube cave
The GIMLI investigation will use ground‑penetrating instruments to search for an underground lava tube beneath the Marius Hills Pit.
By Felo News Desk · Published
NASA announced that its new GIMLI (Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation) mission will examine the Marius Hills Pit for a possible underground lava‑tube cave, a step toward locating natural shelters for future lunar bases.
What happened
The agency selected the GIMLI project, led by the nonprofit Planetary Science Institute, as part of a trio of programs aimed at expanding lunar knowledge to support a planned south‑pole base. The mission will land a rover equipped with ground‑penetrating radar, seismic sensors and a gravimeter to scan beneath the pit, which was first identified in 2009 by Japan's Kaguya orbiter.
What the reports add
The Yahoo article notes that the pit measures roughly 34‑45 m deep and 65 × 90 m across, formed by ancient volcanic activity. It also highlights that the investigation is funded through NASA's Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program.
What was said
"NASA Science is building the ultimate interplanetary survival guide to ensure that science goes first to the lunar surface to provide our future astronaut crews with the vital information, resources, and safety precautions needed ahead of time to survive the night on the moon," Nicky Fox, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement to Yahoo.
"Confirming a substantial lava tube would give us an insight into how volcanism operated on the moon," GIMLI deputy principal investigator Gareth Morgan told Yahoo.
How it came about
The effort builds on earlier NASA work that identified the Marius Hills Pit as a promising target for subsurface exploration. Recent Felo News coverage linked the pit to potential shelter concepts (NASA backs study of lunar pit that could become astronaut shelter) and to broader lunar geology studies such as the discovery of a large crater (NASA Discovers Moon Crater Bigger Than Colosseum). Together, these projects aim to reduce risk and improve habitat design for the agency's upcoming south‑pole base.
Key facts
- NASA selected the GIMLI mission to investigate the Marius Hills Pit for a possible lava‑tube cave. (news.yahoo.com)
- The mission will use a lander and rover equipped with ground‑penetrating radar, seismic sensors and a gravimeter. (news.yahoo.com)
- The Marius Hills Pit is about 34‑45 m deep and 65 × 90 m across, formed by ancient volcanic activity. (news.yahoo.com)
- GIMLI is funded through NASA's PRISM program and led by the Planetary Science Institute. (news.yahoo.com)
- NASA officials say confirming a lava tube could provide natural shelter for future astronauts. (news.yahoo.com)
Sources
- [1] news.yahoo.com — originally reported as “NASA's hunting for a secret underground cave on the moon”
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