GIMLI mission to probe Moon pit for lava tubes

NASA has selected a mission to explore a pit on the Moon that could open into a lava tube, ScienceDaily reports. The mission, called GIMLI, will send a lander and rover to the Marius Hills Pit, a large opening in one of the Moon's most volcanically diverse regions.

GIMLI stands for Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation. It is led by Than Putzig, associate director and senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. The instruments include a ground-penetrating radar, seismic sensors, a gravimeter, and cameras. The radar is supplied by the Norwegian Space Agency.

"It's long been a desire of mine to reintroduce intentional active-source seismic methods to planetary science," Putzig said. He added that combining these methods with radar and gravity measurements would allow researchers to understand subsurface properties, including the potential detection of a lava tube.

Searching for lava tubes

Scientists have found evidence from orbit that caves and lava tubes may exist under the Moon's surface. The Marius Hills Pit may provide an entrance to such structures. By using a combination of radar and seismic surveys, GIMLI aims to detect a void extending from the pit and estimate its size.

"Confirming a substantial lava tube would give us an insight into how volcanism operated on the Moon," said Gareth Morgan, PSI senior scientist and deputy principal investigator for GIMLI. He noted that lava tubes are common in basaltic regions on Earth, so finding them on the Moon would help scientists understand lunar history.

Geology regardless of outcome

Even if no cave is found, the mission's data will be valuable. The instruments will study the material around the pit and its walls, which expose layers of regolith and lava flows normally hidden. This can reveal how lava moved across the Moon and whether eruptions were separated by long intervals.

The mission is part of NASA's PRISM program, which sends scientific instruments to the Moon aboard commercial landers. PSI is partnered with Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company, which builds the seismic system, gravimeter, and cameras. Honeybee Robotics will also help integrate instruments onto the lander and rover. Other team members come from Boise State University, Johns Hopkins University, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the University of Oslo.

• GIMLI
• Honeybee Robotics
• lava tube
• Marius Hills Pit
• NASA PRISM
• Planetary Science Institute