New moon discovery - 5th August 2024

Astronauts landed on the moon in 1969, but no one has built a moon base. Now, cave tunnels could provide a safe place for a lunar base. This may help humans to explore space.

In 2010, NASA’s lunar satellite Orbiter found a cave entrance in the Sea of Tranquility. Scientists from the University of Trento in Italy have studied this data. They’ve identified up to 170 metres of cave tunnels under the surface.

The caves could be a safe place for people to live. The moon’s surface has temperatures of 121 degrees celsius in the sun but minus 133 degrees in the dark. It’s often hit by small asteroids too, which could damage buildings.

One part of the cave is up to 80 metres long and 45 metres wide. It’s large enough to build several lunar houses in. This base would make it possible to explore more of the universe. There may also be caves near the lunar poles. These areas have ice, which makes them good locations for a base.

Five countries have now sent spacecraft to the moon. Some businesses are also trying to reach the moon. This could start a new space race to set up lunar bases.