On the Moon, NASA finds cavities in which it would be good to live

The surface of the Moon undergoes strong temperature contrasts, between +120 degrees Celsius and -170 degrees Celsius, but there are areas where it would be almost good to live according to our Earth criteria thanks to a mild and stable temperature.

The instruments of the probe LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) of NASA have indeed made it possible to discover that certain lunar cavities benefit from a temperature of the order of 17 degrees Celsius with low amplitude.

These gaping openings have captivated scientists since their discovery in 2009 and raise the question of the existence of caves which could constitute excellent shelters for human colonies by protecting them from cosmic and solar rays, extreme temperatures and also micrometeorites.

One of these mysterious lunar cavities
(credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)

Their origin is not fully known but they could be ancient lava passage points, or lava tunnels, when the Moon was still volcanically active.

Examples are found on Earth when still-fluid lava creates its way as surface lava has cooled, then creating a gallery when the flow dries up.

Future privileged areas for lunar human colonies

These lunar lava tunnels would therefore be interesting in more than one way for a colonization of our natural satellite by providing shelter with a moderate and stable temperature and they will undoubtedly constitute a priority exploration objective for future missions.

The determination of the temperatures was obtained with the Diviner instrument on board the LRO probe and after analysis according to the composition of the lunar soil and the properties of rocks and dust.

The part hidden from the sun of these cavities thus seems to maintain a stable temperature which would in principle be maintained in a cavern located at the bottom of the cavity. The edges of the cavity and the cast shadow would serve as a buffer zone, preventing the sun’s heat from spreading lower during the lunar day (which still lasts 15 Earth days) and preventing heat loss during the night.