NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute proposal to investigate the Marius Hills pit on the Moon, deploying active-source seismic instruments, ground-penetrating radar, and gravity sensors to determine if the opening connects to a subterranean lava tube suitable for a human base.
To protect future astronauts, NASA is advancing plans for its initial Moon base by targeting natural geological formations that could offer immediate shelter. Under the Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program, the agency selected three scientific investigations to address the core challenges of lunar habitation according to the newly announced payload selections. These projects aim to monitor environmental threats, evaluate local resource availability, and probe underground spaces that might serve as natural habitats.
As Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, pointed out, NASA Science is putting together the ultimate interplanetary survival handbook so that science reaches the lunar surface first and equips future astronaut teams with the essential data, supplies, and safety measures required beforehand to endure the lunar night. The agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative plays a central role by partnering with American companies to transport exploration payloads to the Moon’s surface and orbit, supporting longer-term agency goals to send humans to Mars.
Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar Pit Investigation Targets Volcanic Tunnel
Among the selected investigations is the Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation, known as GIMLI, which focuses directly on the Marius Hills pit. Situated in one of the most volcanically varied zones on the Moon, the depression is roughly the depth of a ten-story building with a mouth about the dimensions of an American football field, spanning approximately 34 meters (about 111 feet) deep and 65 by 90 meters (approximately 213 by 295 feet) wide. Data from a 2024 paper published in the International Journal of Mining Science and Technology note that it ranks as one of more than 300 lunar pits discovered on the moon. Strong clues gathered by orbital observations suggest that caves and lava tubes might exist underneath the lunar surface. The Marius Hills pit serves as a potential skylight leading into a lava tube situated within an ancient lunar volcanic terrain.
Spearheaded by Planetary Science Institute associate director and senior scientist Than Putzig, the initiative collaborates with Honeybee Robotics—a Blue Origin subsidiary—which will construct core components of the camera package, gravimeter, and active-source seismic system while aiding PSI with integration and lunar operations. Additional co-investigators hail from Boise State University, Johns Hopkins University, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the University of Oslo, with the Norwegian Space Agency also involved.
GIMLI Uses Three Techniques to Peer Beneath Lunar Regolith
To peer beneath the regolith, GIMLI will use three complementary techniques instead of relying on a single instrument, combining several methods that can reveal different characteristics of the lunar subsurface. Ground-penetrating radar will transmit electromagnetic signals downward to register reflections from buried boundaries and empty voids. Meanwhile, seismic sensors will track how deliberately generated vibrations travel through the ground, reintroducing intentional active-source seismic methods to planetary science that have essentially not been done since the Apollo astronauts conducted the first seismic surveys on the Moon.
“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. We’re excited to have PSI leading this effort and to be partnering with NASA and Honeybee Robotics to learn more about the Moon and its volcanic past.”
Than Putzig, PSI Associate Director and Senior Scientist
By combining seismic sensing, radar, and gravity measurements, the research team anticipates detecting a subsurface lava tube extending outward from the pit. Confirming a substantial lava tube would give insight into how volcanism operated on the moon, and because lava tubes are a common feature of basaltic volcanism on Earth, identifying them on the moon means researchers could use knowledge of such terrestrial caves to better understand lunar history.
Geological Insights Even Without a Subterranean Cavity
Even if GIMLI does not find a cave or lava tube beneath the surface, a negative result would not make the mission scientifically empty. The results and data could still help answer an important question about how the pit formed, as measurements of the surrounding subsurface could provide a better understanding of the geology and volcanic history around the site. The GIMLI team will also look beyond the pit itself. Complementary investigations selected alongside GIMLI—such as the Depth Imager with Spectral and Color Optics payload led by Ariel Deutsch of NASA's Ames Research Center to measure ice preserved inside micro-cold traps—will address the primary challenges of establishing a sustained human presence beyond Earth as NASA prepares for future astronaut crews.
When crew members journey to the moon for operations like Artemis IV, a pair of astronauts will make the descent to the surface and spend roughly a week near the lunar South Pole carrying out novel scientific work prior to ascending back to lunar orbit to reunite with their colleagues for the trip home to Earth.
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