Researchers believe that ancient lunar lava tubes could serve as an ideal location for future human habitation. These are vast hollow tunnels formed by lava that flowed across the lunar surface billions of years ago, during a time when our satellite was volcanically active.
Lunar lava tubes offer excellent protection against harmful solar and cosmic radiation, as well as micrometeoroids. Additionally, the underground environment of the lava tubes provides a more stable temperature compared to the harsh lunar surface. For these reasons, lava tubes are considered the perfect site for potential lunar bases.
However, accessing these underground caves is not straightforward, and a team of researchers led by Jonathan Babel from the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center in Bremen, Germany, has introduced a new concept. They propose developing a multifunctional robotic system to explore the lunar lava tubes.