The lunar surface temperature varies between 127°C and minus 173°C. If humans go to the moon to develop in the future, a constant temperature base is essential. Recently, a UCLA team discovered a lava tube on the moon. The temperature is maintained at a comfortable 17°C for many years, which is suitable for building a base that can grow food, provide oxygen, collect experimental resources, and avoid cosmic rays and meteorite impacts.
In 2009, scientists discovered the existence of caves on the moon for the first time. About 16 of the more than 200 impact craters contain collapsed lava tubes, which are hollow tunnels left by lava flowing under the lunar crust in the past. The collapse opens a pit that can lead to the depths of the pipeline. Since then, scientists have wondered whether the caves could serve as refuges from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorite bombardment.
Using NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and computer modeling data, the UCLA team focused on a cave about 100 meters deep, analyzed the thermal properties, dust, and temperature changes in the area, and found a lunar surface with extremely high temperatures. Table is more stable than the location.
The analysis results show that the temperature fluctuation in the permanent shadow range of the cave is very small, and it is maintained at about 17 °C for many years. The extension from the cave to the bottom of the pit will also maintain this relatively comfortable temperature for the human body.
Although NASA currently has no formal plans to establish an exploration base on the moon, if it were to cover the lunar surface, it would have to create heating/cooling equipment that could withstand huge temperature changes. If living in a cave, base personnel can try to grow food, produce oxygen, collect lunar resources, and directly avoid the danger of cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorite bombardment.
(First image source: UCLA)
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