JAKARTA – NASA researchers are looking for the right method to find underground caves on the Moon and Mars. This is done to create habitats and research facilities that are safe for explorers.
The team consisting of scientists conducted direct experiments in the field. They chose a location with a landscape similar to space. The locations are near Flagstaff, Arizona and Tulelake, California.
In one test, researchers hit a metal plate placed on the ground. The plates were beaten up to hundreds of times using the Palu Godam weighing 4.5 kilograms. In this test, researchers try to create seismic signals.
This approach works similar to CT scanning in medical science. The Palu Godam blow creates a seismic vibration that propagates into the soil and bounces back from the hidden structure below the surface.
The researchers repeat the test with one blow every 1 meter along the 125 meter line. They do this on a lava tube and a cave that is known to have an ancient underground lava flow in the past.
From the test results, it can be concluded that this simple seismic method is able to reveal the existence of caves below the surface. This method is believed to be used also in finding the existence of caves in space.
For the application of outside the earth, scientists suggest the use of loading machines or high -speed load shooters. This tool is considered capable of expanding the depth of his research compared to using Palu Godam.
