A proposal headed by the Planetary Science Institute has been selected by NASA to figure out if a potentially large cave stretches underground from a lunar pit’s opening. Should such a cavern be found, astronauts might eventually gain natural shielding against severe temperature shifts and radiation on the moon.
The project will receive funding through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program. The initiative sends scientific instruments to the lunar surface aboard spacecraft supplied by providers participating in the Commercial Lunar Payloads Services program.
Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar Pit Investigation Deployment
Than Putzig, Planetary Science Institute Associate Director and Senior Scientist, is leading the chosen initiative, designated as the Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation, or GIMLI. The institute is working with Honeybee Robotics, which will construct much of the mission’s equipment and instrumentation. The instruments will travel aboard a lander and rover supplied through the Commercial Lunar Payloads Services initiative. Work on the project will also be conducted in partnership with the Norwegian Space Agency.
“GIMLI represents the type of ambitious planetary science that PSI was built to pursue,” said Planetary Science Institute Director and CEO Amanda Hendrix. “Than and his team are taking a scientific question we’ve been studying from orbit and have developed a way to investigate it directly on the Moon. We’re excited to have PSI leading this effort and to be partnering with NASA and Honeybee Robotics to learn more about the Moon and its volcanic past.”
Orbital observations by scientists analyzing the Moon have uncovered strong proof that lava tubes and caves might be concealed beneath the terrain. GIMLI will concentrate on the Marius Hill Pit, a large opening located within one of the Moon’s most volcanically varied regions. Like other pits identified on the Moon, the pit could provide an entrance into underground structures created by ancient volcanic activity. Rather than relying only on observations from above, GIMLI will give researchers an opportunity to examine the pit directly from the lunar surface.
Radar and Seismic Sensors for Subsurface Mapping
“It’s long been a desire of mine to reintroduce intentional active-source seismic methods to planetary science, as it has essentially not been done since the Apollo astronauts conducted the first seismic surveys on the Moon,” shared Putzig. “Combining that method with ground-penetrating radar and gravity measurements makes it all the more exciting, as these methods together will allow us to get a much better understanding of subsurface properties — including the anticipated detection of a lava tube extending away from the Marius Hills pit.”
To investigate what lies underground, GIMLI will combine ground penetrating radar, seismic sensors, and a gravimeter. Cameras will also photograph the lunar surface and the exposed walls of the pit. Used together, these instruments will search for a possible underground void extending from the pit and, if one is detected, help scientists estimate its dimensions.
Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company, will serve as the commercial partner on the project. The gravimeter, active source seismic system, and cameras will have their instrumentation built and project management handled by the firm. Honeybee Robotics will also help integrate the scientific instruments onto the lander and rover. Along with the Planetary Science Institute, it will lead instrument operations after the spacecraft reaches the lunar surface.
Geological Discoveries Beyond Underground Caves
The mission could still produce important discoveries even if researchers find no cave or lava tube. Its measurements could help address another major question regarding how the Marius Hill Pit formed. By examining the material surrounding and beneath the pit, scientists could gain new clues about its origin as well as the geology and volcanic history of the wider region.
The team plans to study more than the possible underground structure. The surrounding area has experienced a long history of volcanic activity, and the walls of the pit expose layers of regolith and lava flows that normally remain buried. Examining these layers could show how lava once moved across and beneath the lunar surface and whether individual eruptions were separated by long intervals.
Lunar pits are valuable not only because their walls expose otherwise hidden geology. Evidence of the volcanic forces that contributed to the Moon’s formation might also be safeguarded within any subterranean cavities linked to them.
“Confirming a substantial lava tube would give us an insight into how volcanism operated on the Moon,” explained Gareth Morgan, Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist and Deputy Principal Investigator on the GIMLI program. “Lava tubes are a common feature of basaltic volcanism on Earth, so identifying them on the Moon means we could use knowledge of such terrestrial caves to better understand lunar history.”
The GIMLI group features researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Boise State University, the University of Oslo, and the Lunar and Planetary Institute, working alongside the Planetary Science Institute and Honeybee Robotics. The Norwegian Space Agency will provide the ground-penetrating radar.
Did you know? Active-source seismic methods have not been intentionally used in planetary science since the Apollo era.
Frequently Asked Questions About the GIMLI Mission
What specific instruments are included in the GIMLI payload?
The payload features ground-penetrating radar provided by the Norwegian Space Agency, an active-source seismic system, a gravimeter, and cameras built by Honeybee Robotics.
Which academic and research institutions are collaborating on the project?
The team includes co-investigators from Boise State University, Johns Hopkins University, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the University of Oslo, alongside the Planetary Science Institute and Honeybee Robotics.
How will the GIMLI instruments reach the lunar surface?
The scientific instruments will travel aboard a lander and rover supplied through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payloads Services initiative.
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