# NASA selects PSI-led GIMLI mission to probe Marius Hills lunar pit for lava tubes

- Published: 2026-11-06 16:37 UTC
- Section: Sky & Space › Space
- Tags: GIMLI mission, Planetary Science Institute, Marius Hills Pit, lunar lava tube, NASA PRISM, Honeybee Robotics, lunar seismology
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-44066f983c528fdaaa9dd1bf_nasa_selects_psi/

**Instruments mounted on a commercial lander and rover will deploy radar, seismics, and gravimetry to search for subsurface voids.**

![NASA selects PSI-led GIMLI mission to probe Marius Hills lunar pit for lava tubes](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/23c66ac6c9a68792.webp)
*scinexx*

NASA has selected a planetary research proposal led by the Planetary Science Institute to determine whether a large underground cave system extends beyond the Marius Hills Pit on the Moon [1]. The mission, designated Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation (GIMLI), is funded through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program, according to psi.edu. Hardware deliveries will be conducted by commercial spacecraft under the Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS) framework.

Orbital imagery previously identified the Marius Hills Pit within a volcanically diverse region, suggesting a possible opening to subterranean lava tubes created during ancient volcanic activity [1]. The mission is directed by PSI Associate Director Than Putzig, with commercial engineering provided by Honeybee Robotics. A commercial lander and rover will operate directly on the lunar surface to survey the pit and adjacent ground, assessing whether a void exists and estimating its physical dimensions.

## Subsurface geophysical suite

The mission payload integrates active-source seismology, ground-penetrating radar, a gravimeter, and surface imaging cameras [1]. Honeybee Robotics is responsible for instrument integration, mission management services, the gravimeter, the active-source seismic system, and imaging hardware. The ground-penetrating radar is provided through a partnership involving the Norwegian Space Agency and researchers from the University of Oslo.

Active-source seismic methods have not been employed on the lunar surface since the Apollo lunar surface experiments [1]. Combining artificial seismic excitations with subsurface radar mapping and localized gravity data will allow researchers to detect density contrasts caused by subsurface voids and map geological strata along the pit walls.

## Constraining lunar volcanism

If the instruments detect an open lava tube, the structure could indicate how basaltic volcanic systems operated on the early Moon [1]. Unexposed subsurface cavities and exposed stratigraphy along the pit walls show layers of regolith and sequential basaltic lava flows, which provide records of eruptive intervals.

Even in the event that no subterranean void is detected, the subsurface readings are planned to constrain how the Marius Hills Pit formed [1]. Additional scientific co-investigators join the project from Boise State University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

## Sources

1. [psi.edu](https://www.psi.edu/blog/psi-led-team-selected-for-nasa-prism-program/)
2. [scinexx](https://www.scinexx.de/news/kosmos/roboter-gimli-soll-moegliche-mondhoehle-fuer-kuenftige-mondmissionen-erkunden)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-44066f983c528fdaaa9dd1bf_nasa_selects_psi/