CHINA has expressed interest in building lunar bases in caves found on the Moon’s surface.
These caves are lava tubes formed when volcanoes were active on the Moon.
Also dubbed “pyroducts,” they are the product of flowing lava cooling on the Moon’s surface.
Universe Today explains the phenomenon further: “The top of the flowing lava formed a hardened crust, but the molten lava kept flowing underneath it and eventually drained, leaving an empty tube.
“Scientists aren’t sure when lunar volcanism ended.
“It may have been as far back as one billion years ago, though some evidence shows there was small-scale volcanism in the last 50 million years. In either case, these lava tubes are ancient and untouched.”
Now, China wants to use these areas to create lunar bases on the Moon to shield astronauts from harsh weather conditions.
Typical lunar conditions can include scorching hot temperatures of 260 degrees Fahrenheit and lethally cold temperatures as low as minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit.
Radiation is also a major concern for astronauts on the Moon because of its lack of a magnetic field.
However, lava tubes feature a natural steady-temperature environment that and acts as a barrier against radiation.
China hopes to explore lunar lava tubes around the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility and Sea of Fecundity.
One way it’s planning to do this is via a robotic system that can scour the Moon’s caves.
Another method is via a flight-capable robot that could autonomously explore lava tubes using microwave and laser radars.
Eventually, the end goal is to send a crewed mission to the Moon in an established and safe lunar research base.
The hope for the research base would be to equip it with a support center for energy and communication at the tube’s entrance, Universe Today reported.
