--- title: There's a Cave on the Moon Large Enough For a Future Colony description: The 31 mile long cave could protect astronauts from extreme temperatures and radiation, scientists believe. canonical: https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/ author: Eli Meixler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-20T03:58:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:02.812Z article:section: Science og:title: There's a Cave on the Moon Large Enough For a Future Colony og:description: Scientists say the 31-mile long cave is a great candidate for a lunar base. og:url: https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c3e7d45b9d2b9f1/6988e2c886f68e37786e6f01/gettyimages-664320254.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: International Space Station transits the moon og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: There's a Cave on the Moon Large Enough For a Future Colony twitter:description: Scientists say the 31-mile long cave is a great candidate for a lunar base. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c3e7d45b9d2b9f1/6988e2c886f68e37786e6f01/gettyimages-664320254.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # There's a Cave on the Moon Large Enough For a Future Lunar Colony > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: The Moon Once Had an Atmosphere That Faded Away [Watch (HLS stream): The Moon Once Had an Atmosphere That Faded Away](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/iEIHrSjw.m3u8) (1:31)  _Published 2017-10-09. The moon likely had an ancient, temporary atmosphere — similar to the pocket of gases that surround Earth — around 3 to 4 billion years ago, according to a new study._ by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Oct 20, 2017 3:58 AM UTC  A multiple exposure shows the International Space Station transiting the Moon above Leeds, England. A multiple exposure shows the International Space Station transiting the Moon above Leeds, England. Danny Lawson—PA Images/Getty Images by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Oct 20, 2017 3:58 AM UTC Japanese scientists have [discovered a crater](https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/37536624/huge-cave-found-on-moon-could-house-astronauts-japan-scientists/) beneath the Moon’s surface that scientists think could one day house a lunar colony. The 50km (31 miles) long and 100m (328 feet) wide fissure was found by Japan’s Selenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) probe using a radar system, Japan’s Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) [confirmed](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/photo/AS20171018004175.html) on October 18. Japanese scientists said that the crevasse, which is located beneath a region of volcanic domes known as the Marius Hills, may be a subterranean lava tube created by volcanic activity some 3.5 billion years ago. “We’ve known about these locations that were thought to be lava tubes … but their existence has not been confirmed until now,” [said](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/oct/19/lunar-cave-discovery-raises-hopes-for-human-colonisation-of-moon) JAXA senior researcher Junichi Haruyama. The cave has already been proposed as a possible candidate for a future lunar exploration base or human colony, the _Guardian_[ reports](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/oct/19/lunar-cave-discovery-raises-hopes-for-human-colonisation-of-moon). Lava tubes “might be the best candidate sites for future lunar bases,” Haruyama added, because their structural stability [offers protection](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/18/national/science-health/japans-lunar-orbiter-discovers-moon-cave-potentially-suitable-use-shelter/#.WelnAxNL9sY) from the moon’s extreme temperatures — which can swing from 224**°**F during the day to -153**°**C at night — and cosmic radiation that bombards its surface. The discovery comes as multiple countries ramp up plans for moon missions in coming years, including [U.S-Russia](http://time.com/4960547/russia-roscosmos-nasa-moon-space-station/) and [China-Europe](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/moon-base-outpost-china-europe-chinese-space-agency-collaboration-together-a7702936.html) partnerships to build lunar bases. Japan is targeting a [manned lunar mission by 2030](http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/29/asia/japan-moon-landing-jaxa/index.html), while China last year set itself a [deadline of 2036](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-space-moon/china-aims-for-manned-moon-landing-by-2036-idUSKCN0XQ0JT) among other ambitious extraterrestrial plans that include a [Mars rover by 2020](http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-08/24/c%5F135627828.htm). Competition has opened up to the private sector as well in this 21st century space race, with [SpaceX’s Elon Musk](http://time.com/4684849/elon-musk-spacex-moon-trip-2018/) announcing a planned [two-person private Moon trip](http://time.com/4685387/spacex-elon-musk-moon/) for 2018. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/"},"headline":"There's a Cave on the Moon Large Enough For a Future Lunar Colony","datePublished":"2017-10-20T03:58:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:54:02.812Z","description":"The 31 mile long fissure would protect astronauts from extreme temperatures and radiation","url":"https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/","keywords":["Space Exploration","Japan","moon","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c3e7d45b9d2b9f1/6988e2c886f68e37786e6f01/gettyimages-664320254.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c3e7d45b9d2b9f1/6988e2c886f68e37786e6f01/gettyimages-664320254.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"International Space Station transits the moon","caption":"International Space Station transits the moon","creditText":"Danny Lawson—PA Images/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/space-exploration/","name":"Space Exploration"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/","name":"There's a Cave on the Moon Large Enough For a Future Lunar Colony"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Moon Once Had an Atmosphere That Faded Away","description":"The moon likely had an ancient, temporary atmosphere — similar to the pocket of gases that surround Earth — around 3 to 4 billion years ago, according to a new study.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/iEIHrSjw/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-10-09T19:19:39.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/iEIHrSjw.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/","duration":"PT1M31S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4990676/moon-cave-base-lunar-colony-exploration/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```