NASA selected a proposal from the Planetary Science Institute to investigate whether the mysterious pit on the Moon, the Marius Hill Pit, leads to a subsurface lava tube. The GIMLI project will use seismic and radar technology to locate underground caverns that could protect future astronauts.
GIMLI Mission Seeks Lunar Subsurface Voids
The Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation (GIMLI) will explore the lunar surface using equipment provided through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS) initiative. PSI Associate Director and Senior Scientist Than Putzig leads the mission, which receives funding from NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program.
Researchers identified the Marius Hill Pit (MHP) from orbit and now plan to deploy ground-penetrating radar, a gravimeter, and seismic sensors to find voids. This mission marks the first time scientists have used active-source seismic methods on the Moon since the Apollo astronauts conducted the first seismic surveys.
Combining that method with ground-penetrating radar and gravity measurements makes it all the more exciting, as these methods together will allow us to get a much better understanding of subsurface properties — including the anticipated detection of a lava tube extending away from the Marius Hills pit.
Than Putzig, PSI Associate Director and Senior Scientist
Partners Build Lunar Research Tools
PSI is partnering with Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company, to build the seismic equipment, gravimeter, and cameras. Honeybee Robotics will manage instrument integration and assist with lunar surface operations, while the Norwegian Space Agency serves as a research partner.
The mission will also analyze the walls of the Marius Hill Pit, where layers of regolith and lava flows remain exposed. These formations offer researchers a way to study the volcanic history of the region and observe how lava historically moved across the Moon.
Scientists Evaluate Lava Tubes for Habitats
A confirmed lava tube could protect astronauts from lunar surface radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations. PSI Director and CEO Amanda Hendrix stated that the team has moved beyond orbital observation to direct investigation.
Than and his team are taking a scientific question we’ve been studying from orbit and have developed a way to investigate it directly on the Moon,
Hendrix said. Even if the team finds no cave, the data will reveal new information about the pit’s origin and the volcanic activity that shaped the Moon. This investigation follows the initial seismic surveys carried out by the Apollo missions.
