ISRO finds cave on moon; can be used as human outpost

[BlueDot_in_Space]

NEW DELHI: ISRO scientists have discovered a giant underground chamber on the moon, which could be used as a lunar base by astronauts for inter-planetary missions.

Scientists at the Space Applications Centre (SAC), using data gathered from Chandrayaan-I's Terrain Mapping Camera and Hyper Spectral Imager (HySI) payloads, found a 1.2 km long buried, uncollapsed and near horizontal lava tube.

The hollow cave situated just above the lunar equator on the nearside of moon, can accommodate a large number of astronauts and scientific instruments, and also protect them from hostile lunar environment.

"Such a lava tube could be a potential site for future human habitability on the Moon for future human missions and scientific explorations, providing a safe environment from hazardous radiations, micro-meteoritic impacts, extreme temperatures and dust storms," a team of scientists led by A S Arya of SAC, Ahmedabad said reporting the findings in 'Current Science'.

Scientists said identifying sites for permanent base for human settlements on the moon is important for further exploration.

"Lava tubes provide a natural environmental control with a nearly constant temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius, unlike that of the lunar surface showing extreme variation, maximum of 130 degrees Celsius to a minimum of minus 180 degrees Celsius in its diurnal (day-night) cycle," they said.

The scientists said the lava tubes offer a dust-free environment and adapting them for human use requires minimal construction.

The structures also shields its occupants as after 6 meters depth, no effects of radiation due to or induced by galactic cosmic rays were observed in simulation, they said.

"After less than one meter, no effects of radiation due to or induced by solar particle events are observable. Natural or induced radioactivity does not play a significant role in the lava tube exposures," the scientists said.

"Thus lava tubes are not only a safe natural cavity, but also a readymade structure for a lunar base, being a habitat," they said.

Source:ISRO finds cave on moon; can be used as human outpost - The Economic Times
Kudos ISRO
We should name the cave on some Indian scientist like Sarabhai.

 

[IndianArmy]

Another worthwhile discovery, This time letting known to the world By ISRO...

 

[Skull and Bones]

Those caves can save the astronauts from UV and cosmic rays, also there's high chance of finding deposits of ice in those caves.

The Clementine imaging experiment showed that such permanently shadowed areas do exist in the bottom of deep craters near the Moon's south pole. In fact, it appears that approximately 6000 to 15,000 square kilometers (2300 to 5800 square miles) of area around the south pole is permanently shadowed. The permanently shadowed area near the north pole appears on Clementine images to be considerably less, but the Lunar Prospector results show a much larger water-bearing area at the north pole. Much of the area around the south pole is within the South Pole-Aitken Basin (shown at left in blue on a lunar topography image), a giant impact crater 2500 km (1550 miles) in diameter and 12 km deep at its lowest point. Many smaller craters exist on the floor of this basin. Since they are down in this basin, the floors of many of these craters are never exposed to sunlight. Within these craters the temperatures would never rise above about 100 K (280 degrees below zero F) (2). Any water ice at the bottom of the crater could probably exist for billions of years at these temperatures.

 

[shaktiman2010]

Bhagat Singh or Shirdi baba cave-waale would also be nice.

 

[tallboy123]

Well,then lets not open to the world that where exactly that cave is...
When our guys reach moon,we can make a outpost there

 

[Nirvana]

Isro is doing a real gReat job -- first discovery of water on moon , and now this ...good goin

 

[BlueDot_in_Space]

Its has already been posted in Current science. Also, this discovery is not just for us, Indians, but for all the mankind (+womankind).

I will apply for opening a space dhaba there. Vyomnauts would love chicken tandoori

 

[Bang Galore]

ISRO finds cave on moon; can be used as human outpost

Sigh! 1000's of years of human evolution and people are jumping at a chance to go back to a cave.

 

[BlueDot_in_Space]

Now Hollywood will make some horror movies on this discovery. A cave with alien zombies

 

[Abingdonboy]

Bhagat Singh or Shirdi baba cave-waale would also be nice.

Some recognition at last for this great man

 

[bhagat]

Its has already been posted in Current science. Also, this discovery is not just for us, Indians, but for all the mankind (+womankind).

I will apply for opening a space dhaba there. Vyomnauts would love chicken tandoori

then i will be your first customer

 

[madooxno9]

lets send these terrorist there on MOON'S CAVE and make a labour camp out there for them...!!!!

 

[Ahmad]

lets send these terrorist there on MOON'S CAVE and make a labour camp out there for them...!!!!

send to siberia. it will be expensive in the moon, who will supply them oxygen?

 

[angeldemon_007]

Good work ISRO...

 

[StingRoy]

send to siberia. it will be expensive in the moon, who will supply them oxygen?

Do we need to supply oxygen?