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NASA has selected an instrument package called GIMLI to scan beneath the Moon’s Marius Hills Pit and investigate whether it connects to a large underground lava tube. The mission is planned, not a confirmed discovery: NASA has not announced that a tube exists at this site.
What is NASA sending to the lunar pit?
GIMLI stands for Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation. NASA selected it through the Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program. Its planned investigation at the Marius Hills Pit is to scan below the lunar surface for evidence that the pit connects to a large lava tube. GIMLI’s principal investigator is Dr. Nathaniel Putzig of the Planetary Science Institute. NASA’s announcement says delivery is expected through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative as part of NASA’s Moon Base Program.
The announcement does not give GIMLI a launch date, a CLPS task order, or details such as its sensing method, scan depth, or resolution. Those specifications are not established in NASA’s cited announcement.
Is there a lava tube beneath the Marius Hills Pit?
That is what GIMLI is meant to investigate; NASA has not reported a confirmed tube beneath this pit. A pit can form when part of a lava tube’s roof collapses, exposing an opening or skylight. The proposed mechanism is that lava once flowed beneath a cooled surface crust, leaving a hollow tunnel behind. This is a general explanation scientists suspect for lunar pits, not an observation of a tube at Marius Hills.
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What has NASA found at a different lunar pit?
There is relevant evidence from another location, but it should not be mistaken for a result from GIMLI’s target. In July 2024, NASA reported that scientists reanalyzed Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mini-RF radar data collected in 2010. The analysis found evidence of a cave extending more than 200 feet from the base of a pit in Mare Tranquillitatis. NASA said the cave’s full extent was unknown, though it could extend for miles beneath the mare. NASA’s account of the radar analysis concerns Mare Tranquillitatis, not Marius Hills.
| Investigation | Location | Evidence or status |
|---|---|---|
| GIMLI | Marius Hills Pit | Planned subsurface scan to test whether a large lava tube connects to the pit; no confirmed result announced. |
| LRO Mini-RF analysis | Pit in Mare Tranquillitatis | Published radar evidence of a cave extending more than 200 feet from the pit’s base; full extent unknown. |
Why would a lunar lava tube matter?
If a suitable underground void exists and can be reached safely, it could offer some protection from harsh surface conditions. NASA describes potential benefits including more stable temperatures and shielding from ionizing radiation and micrometeoroid bombardment. Those possibilities make lunar caves relevant to future habitat planning, but they do not establish that the Marius Hills Pit is safe, accessible, or intended as an astronaut shelter.
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How does GIMLI fit into NASA’s other lunar investigations?
NASA selected three investigations in the September 30, 2026 announcement, updated October 2 to correct the full names of DISCO and GIMLI. Alongside GIMLI, the selections include LEMS-SP, a long-term environmental and hazard-monitoring suite, and DISCO, which is intended to measure ice in lunar micro-cold traps and study surface behavior. They are separate payloads, not parts of GIMLI’s cave investigation.
Other NASA payload announcements describe different instruments and schedules. For example, the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) described in a 2024 Artemis announcement is an autonomous seismometer suite intended to monitor moonquake-related ground motion near the south pole; its stated operating duration at the time was three months to two years. It is not GIMLI. NASA’s January 2026 announcement covered EMILIA-3D, LISTER, and SELINE, with flights on CLPS no earlier than 2028 and specific task orders to be assigned later. That schedule does not establish when GIMLI will fly.
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