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NASA selects GIMLI mission to explore Moon's Marius Hills Pit for lava tube

Leading the GIMLI mission development

NASA named GIMLI on 30 September 2026 as one of three instrument suites funded through PRISM, its program for putting science payloads on commercial lunar landers. The mission will carry ground-penetrating radar, seismic sensors, a gravimeter and cameras to the Marius Hills Pit, a 65-by-90-meter opening in lunar volcanic terrain. No launch date or lander company has been announced.

Updated Oct 24

Notable Quotes

There's a sharp drop of about 60 m between the pit rim and the floor of the pit, so while first explorations could be done by flying or rappelling into the pit, it may become necessary to install an elevator to move people and equipment in and out of a shelter.

from NASA selects GIMLI mission to explore Moon's Marius Hills Pit for lava tube · Updated Oct 24

Creating a shelter would require walling off either end of a portion of the lava tube and pressurizing the interior, but cross-cutting fractures could make it necessary to seal off the tube walls as well to avoid leaks.

from NASA selects GIMLI mission to explore Moon's Marius Hills Pit for lava tube · Updated Oct 24