NASA has chosen a research initiative led by the Planetary Science Institute to explore the possibility of a substantial underground cavern connected to a pit formation on the lunar surface. The project, titled the Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation (GIMLI), will receive financial support through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program, which delivers scientific equipment to the Moon via commercial spacecraft providers.
The GIMLI mission will focus on the Marius Hill Pit, a significant opening located within a region of the Moon known for diverse volcanic features. If an underground void exists at this location, it could serve as a natural refuge for future astronauts, offering protection from radiation exposure and the Moon’s extreme temperature fluctuations. The investigation will employ multiple complementary technologies, including ground-penetrating radar, seismic sensors, a gravimeter, and high-resolution cameras to detect and characterize any subsurface structures.
The project represents a collaboration between the Planetary Science Institute, Honeybee Robotics, and international partners including the Norwegian Space Agency. Researchers have long theorized that caves and lava tubes created by ancient volcanic activity lie hidden beneath the lunar surface, visible only as openings from orbital observation. The GIMLI mission will provide the first direct ground-level examination of one such feature, moving beyond remote sensing data gathered from spacecraft orbiting the Moon.
Scientists note that valuable insights could emerge regardless of whether a lava tube is discovered. By examining the exposed geological layers within and around the pit, researchers can reconstruct the volcanic history of the region and understand how eruptions and lava flows shaped the lunar landscape over time. The mission will employ seismic methods not used on the Moon since the Apollo era, combined with contemporary instruments to provide unprecedented detail about subsurface properties and lunar geology.
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