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Research reveals the Moon’s south pole, target of NASA’s Artemis mission, is prone to moonquakes and landslides, posing risks to future missions.
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Moonquakes can last hours, causing cracks in structures and making buildings unsafe over time, highlighting the need for lunar building codes.
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Engineers are developing systems to reduce quake damage on lunar structures, including tall towers like LUNARSABER, to support navigation and energy distribution.
NASA’s plans to land astronauts at the Moon’s south pole as part of the Artemis mission may face a new challenge: moonquakes. Recent research suggests that the region is prone to significant seismic activity, which could disrupt both robotic and crewed missions.
The study analyzed moonquakes using data from seismometers left on the Moon by Apollo astronauts over 50 years ago. It found faults in the south polar region that may cause moonquakes, posing risks to future missions. With no lunar building codes in place, construction efforts may be delayed.
To address this issue, engineers are working on developing systems to reduce quake damage on lunar structures. This includes designing tall towers, like LUNARSABER, to support navigation and energy distribution. However, moonquakes make it challenging to keep such structures stable, especially in the Moon’s loose soil.
As more organizations plan to build on the Moon, there’s a growing need for guidelines to deal with moonquakes. A committee from the American Society of Civil Engineers is working on creating lunar building codes. Future missions may include instruments to gather critical data on moonquakes, helping to better understand and mitigate their impact.
