Living on the moon is closer to reality after Japan’s space agency discovered an enormous cave beneath the lunar surface that could be turned into an exploration base for astronauts.
Rice Space Institute Director Dr. David Anderson said the 31-mile long and 100-meter wide cave that could serve as a protective barrier.
“Having an underground safety area that’s big enough to take decent size habitat would be fantastic,” said Anderson. “Having a safe space to go to, without having to build it yourself, would save a lot money and be very useful for increasing the population on the moon.”
Anderson said he sees more moon activity coming in the next decade with different nations looking to land on the moon, like the U.S. has already done.
Life on the Moon isn’t safe because being away from Earth's magnetic field exposes people to harmful radiation.
“Then, above that tunnel provides a wealth of protection against that radiation. It would save you having to build or even dig your own tunnel which has been the suggestion from Mars, for example. So, it’s quite exciting from that perspective,” said Anderson.