Japanese scientists have discovered a massive cave on the moon that could one day serve as shelter for astronauts colonizing our rocky neighbor, according to reports.
The country’s Selenological and Engineering Explorer, or SELENE, probe uncovered the cave — measuring about 30 miles long by 330 feet wide — under an area called the Marius Hills.
It is believed to have been created as a result of volcanic activity about 3.5 billion years ago, according to Agence France-Presse.
“We’ve known about these locations that were thought to be lava tubes … but their existence has not been confirmed until now,” Junichi Haruyama, a researcher at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, told AFP on Thursday.
The cave could help protect astronauts from huge swings in temperature and damaging radiation that they would be exposed to on the lunar surface, he added.
“We haven’t actually seen the inside of the cave itself so there are high hopes that exploring it will offer more details,” Haruyama said.
The cave may contain ice or water deposits that could be transformed into fuel, according to data sent back by the orbiter, nicknamed Kaguya after the moon princess in a Japanese fairytale, The Guardian of the UK reported.
The researchers published their finding in US journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Scientists from JAXA and Purdue University in Indiana used radar data from the Japanese spacecraft to track suspected depressions on the moon’s surface, the International Business Times reported.
“It’s important to know where and how big lunar lava tubes are if we’re ever going to construct a lunar base,” Haruyama said in a statement. “But knowing these things is also important for basic science. We might get new types of rock samples, heat flow data and lunar quake observation data.”
Lunar Lava tubes, which are much larger than those found on Earth are formed when molten lava quickly cools on the outside while remaining hot and liquid-like within.
Once the internal stream of lava stops flowing, it sometimes drains and forms a hollow tunnel.
Scientists also found similar patterns that indicate the presence of lava tubes in other areas of the moon.
The JAXA experts enlisted the assistance of scientists from NASA’s GRAIL mission, which involved obtaining high-quality data of the lunar gravitational field.
“They knew about the skylight in the Marius Hills, but they didn’t have any idea how far that underground cavity might have gone,” said Professor Jay Melosh of Purdu and a GRAIL.
“Our group at Purdue used the gravity data over that area to infer that the opening was part of a larger system. By using this complimentary technique of radar, they were able to figure out how deep and high the cavities are,” he said, according to IBTimes.
The announcement comes as several countries pursue plans to send manned missions to the moon.
In June, Japan announced plans to put an astronaut on the moon by 2030.
That was the first time the JAXA space agency had said it planned to send an astronaut beyond the International Space Station.
China has said it wants to launch its first manned mission to the moon around 2036 as part of its lunar and Mars exploration programs.
Last year, it said it plans to eventually establish a colony there.
“Our long-term goal is to explore, land, and settle,” Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China’s moon and Mars missions, told the BBC. “We want a manned lunar landing to stay for longer periods and establish a research base.”
Russia also has said it hopes to start building a human on the moon by 2030.
China, Russia, India and the US have made successful unmanned moon landings, but the US is the only country to have put people on the lunar surface.
The last person to walk on the moon was Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan, who stepped off the lunar surface in December 1972.
Vice President Mike Pence said this month that the US is committed to go back.
“We will return American astronauts to the moon, not only to leave behind footprints and flags, but to build the foundations we need to send Americans to Mars and beyond,” he said.