The SETI Institute analyzed images of the Moon and identified possible habitats for humanity. They turned out to be tunnels, reminiscent of the volcanic past of the satellite. Can they become our shelters? Are they able to hide the source of fuel for interstellar travel? Researchers believe that yes.
Start by hitting
The generally accepted theory of the formation of the moon says that an object appeared in early times after the Earth collided with a body the size of Mars. Because of the impact in orbit, there were pieces flying away. They slowly merged into a large sphere until they created a familiar earth satellite.
Previously, the moon was much more active because it had volcanoes. When cooling, the lava shrank and left behind empty tunnels.
Ice Poles
After a few million years, some of these tunnels closer to the surface collapsed. This is what helped us to learn about the existence of formations. Previously managed to find about 200 locations. These holes on the surface are different from craters, because the latter have “rims”.
Unlike Earth, the north lunar pole is much colder. It is in constant shade, where the temperature drops to -250 ° C. Here are the tops of these channels. The first 200 are found in the sun's edges along the equator.
Moon poles are considered cold traps where water could accumulate for thousands of years. We know that water is present in the form of gravel on the surface, but scientists hope that the tunnels will provide easy access to the precious deposits. Moreover, this ice can be used as space fuel. It is only necessary to separate the water molecules and isolate the hydrogen gas. In addition, the tunnels provide shelter for the colonialists from cosmic radiation.
Earth Tunnels
Donald Trump announced his desire to return humanity to the moon in the next 5 years. And then the astronauts will be ready to delve into their research. It is important to recall that there is also a set of lava underground channels on Earth. Now space agencies use them as test sites.
However, lunar and terrestrial tunnels can not be called the same. Most likely, the level of gravity greatly affects the size. Usually, the Earth’s width reaches 30 m. However, low lunar gravity will allow them to grow up to 1 km wide and stretch for hundreds of km. In the future, this will allow settling an entire city there.
Final Stage - Mars
First of all, you need to get pictures with higher resolution. This will confirm that the latest discoveries are indeed intact underground tunnels. Then you have to understand if there are ice deposits in them. Researchers insist that mastering these tunnels is crucial. If everything works out, then moving to Mars will be much easier.
The red planet also has volcanic tunnels. Perhaps it is there that future colonists will settle.
