GoKawiilNASA selects GIMLI mission to probe Marius Hills Pit for hidden lava tube
NASA has chosen the GIMLI mission to send a rover to the Marius Hills Pit, a lunar hole roughly 150 feet deep and 300 feet wide, to determine whether it opens into a larger underground lava tube. The rover, built with instruments from Honeybee Robotics including ground-penetrating radar, seismic probes and a gravimeter, will study the pit from the surface rather than orbit for the first time. The project is funded through NASA's Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program.
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Confirming a lava tube beneath the pit could reveal details about the Moon's volcanic past, according to Planetary Science Institute scientist Gareth Morgan. Such caves are also being eyed as potential shelters or bases for future astronauts, since they could offer protection from radiation and temperature extremes, though this remains speculative until ground data is collected.
- NASA has selected the GIMLI mission to investigate the Marius Hills Pit on the Moon
- A rover equipped with radar, seismic probes and a gravimeter will study the site from the surface
- Findings could inform both lunar volcanic history and future astronaut shelter plans
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Published there as: “NASA Investigating Large Hole on Moon That May Open Into Enormous Cave”
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