It was around a few days back that NASA sent its Perseverance Rover to the moon. The ultimate aim of this mission is to discover signs of ancient alien life on Mars. This mission is also widely considered the first step by the United States space agency to achieve the ultimate goal of Red Planet colonization. Now, a new study has suggested that lava tubes on the moon and Mars could turn out to be a safe haven for humans during upcoming manned missions to these space bodies.
Lava Tubes on Moon and Mars Could Fit Entire Cities
The new study was carried out by researchers at the Universities of Bologna and Padua. During the study, researchers analyzed the sub-surface cavities that lava created in the underground regions of Mars and the moon.
The research report noted that these giant lava tubes are so large, as it could fit some entire cities that are currently present on earth. According to the study report, Martian tunnels appear to range from 130 to 1,300-ft in diameter, while the moon's are 1,600 to 3,000-ft.
"Tubes as wide as these can be longer than 40 kilometers, making the moon an extraordinary target for subsurface exploration and potential settlement in the wide protected and stable environments of lava tubes. The latter are so big they can contain Padua's entire city center," said Ricardo Pozzoban, co-author of the study in a recent statement.
According to space experts, these giant tunnels could protect from space radiation and sometimes even asteroid hits. Moreover, the temperature in these tunnels will be stable, and there will be no variation during days and nights.
Martian Tunnels Collapsed?
Researchers speculate that these giant Martian tunnels might have collapsed, but they believe that lunar tunnels are still be standing. However, until now, no space agencies have developed such advanced equipment that could go spelunking through these lunar tunnels.
According to a report published in Sci-Tech Daily, the European Space Agency (ESA), is apparently training astronauts in cave hiking and soliciting ideas for lunar-cave exploration.
"Space agencies are now interested in planetary caves and lava tubes, as they represent the first step towards future explorations of the lunar surface (see also NASA's project Artemis) and towards finding life (past or present) in Mars subsurface," said Francesco Sauro, a speleologist and head of the ESA programs CAVES and PANGAEA.
