Moon Pit Opens to Hidden Subsurface Cave, Hinting at Vast Lava Tubes
A reanalysis of NASA’s LRO Mini-RF radar over Mare Tranquillitatis finds a bright radar return implying a cave conduit under the pit, extending tens of metres from the base and marking the first direct evidence of a lunar cave opening. But the mapped portion is small and the full extent is unknown. Separate mechanical models show lunar gravity could let lava tubes kilometres wide, so in theory the Moon could host large underground shelters; however, any cave would need robust life support and engineering to be usable, and future robotic missions are needed to map and assess stability and access.