mrodoc
Well-known member
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/environment/lava-tubes-lanzarote although it's a bit of stretch to say the tubes in question were discovered recently when the natives used to hide from pirates in them!
In case you missed it
- Thread starter mrodoc
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cap n chris
Well-known member
Ok inasfar as it goes but the article missed the opportunity to mention that the Fourth International Planetary Caves Conference, specifically focussing on caves on Mars and the Moon, was held in Lanzarote in May last year and the island hosted ESA/NASA engaging in robot trials (I have video taken ad hoc, taken independently); the Mars exploration programme is now very well developed and should commence in around three years time. FWIW the sampling sites in Cueva Las Brenas were only discovered in the last few years. The cave is more than double its "historic" length, largely down to collaboration exploration efforts headed up by Laurens Smets; his explorations on the Island have significantly increased the number of caves. Similarly his work in Naturalistas, and elsewhere, has extended caves quite remarkably. His work is published but not in the public domain as there are issues attendant with conservation.
Further info here (I believe it should still be possible to download papers/abstracts freely): https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/4thcaves2023/
Exploration programme video (somewhat ambitious, but hey)..
Further info here (I believe it should still be possible to download papers/abstracts freely): https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/4thcaves2023/
Exploration programme video (somewhat ambitious, but hey)..
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alanw
Well-known member
AI used by Kent student to find possible cave entrances on Moon
The University of Kent says the pits may be able to support human survival on future space missions.
www.bbc.co.uk
Finding water up there is rather important, as shipping it up could cost €20,000 per litre:
The Moon
"If space is an ocean," says ESA's Franco Ongaro, "then the Moon is our nearest island." It's an island that last saw human visitors in December, 1972, when the final Apollo mission came home from the Taurus-Littrow highlands. ESA's Aurora Programme might well see people back on lunar soil.
www.esa.int
alanw
Well-known member
An "origami" airless wheel to explore lunar caves
A joint research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Unmanned Exploration Laboratory (UEL) has developed a transformative wheel capable of navigating the moon's most extreme terrains, including steep lunar pits and lava tubes.
Their latest study presents a novel "origami-inspired" deployable airless wheel that can significantly expand its diameter to traverse obstacles that would trap traditional rovers. The research is published in Science Robotics.
A joint research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Unmanned Exploration Laboratory (UEL) has developed a transformative wheel capable of navigating the moon's most extreme terrains, including steep lunar pits and lava tubes.
Their latest study presents a novel "origami-inspired" deployable airless wheel that can significantly expand its diameter to traverse obstacles that would trap traditional rovers. The research is published in Science Robotics.
alanw
Well-known member
Robots descend into lava tubes to prepare for future Moon bases
Hidden lava tunnels on the Moon and Mars could one day shelter human explorers, offering natural protection from radiation and space debris. A European research team has unveiled a bold new mission concept that uses three different robots working together to explore these extreme underground...
www.sciencedaily.com
Hidden lava tunnels on the Moon and Mars could one day shelter human explorers, offering natural protection from radiation and space debris. A European research team has unveiled a bold new mission concept that uses three different robots working together to explore these extreme underground environments autonomously. Recently tested in the volcanic caves of Lanzarote, the system maps cave entrances, deploys sensors, lowers a scout rover, and creates detailed 3D maps of the interior.
alanw
Well-known member
Radar images provide evidence of a lava tube on Venus
"Our analyses revealed the existence of a large subsurface conduit in the region of Nyx Mons, the area named after the Greek goddess of the night. We interpret the structure as a possible lava tube (pyroduct), with an estimated diameter of approximately one kilometer, a roof thickness of at least 150 meters and an empty void deep of no less than 375 meters."
"Our analyses revealed the existence of a large subsurface conduit in the region of Nyx Mons, the area named after the Greek goddess of the night. We interpret the structure as a possible lava tube (pyroduct), with an estimated diameter of approximately one kilometer, a roof thickness of at least 150 meters and an empty void deep of no less than 375 meters."
