Lava Tubes as Lunar Bases

NASA has approved a payload (GIMLI) to measure what lies beneath the Marius Hills Pit using seismic sensors, ground‑penetrating radar and a gravimeter. If the pit connects to substantial lava tubes, those underground voids could serve as natural radiation‑ and temperature‑shielded sites for habitats, lowering the infrastructure burden for sustained human presence. — Recognizing and mapping lunar lava tubes changes where and how nations and companies plan bases, landers, and resource logistics — shifting policy and investment from purely surface architecture to subterranean infrastructure on the Moon.