Original title: Lava Tube Exploration with LunarLeaper
Anna Mittelholz, Simon C. Stähler, Valentin T. Bickel, Jordan Aaron +8 · September 2026
Scientists want to study deep pits on the Moon. Some of these pits formed when roofs collapsed over ancient underground lava tubesUnderground tunnels formed by flowing lava that can be left empty after the lava drains.. These openings reveal hidden rock layers and could provide shelters for future human explorers. However, orbiters cannot see everything inside them, and the rugged terrain makes exploring them difficult. To solve this, researchers designed a mission concept called LunarLeaper. It is a small legged robot built specifically to jump and walk over the rough ground, steep funnel slopes, and rocky edges around a lunar pit. The robot carries a gravimeterA device that measures tiny changes in gravity to detect underground structures., ground-penetrating radar, a high-resolution camera, and a spectrometer, while also using its legs to test the ground strength. LunarLeaper is designed to target the Marius Hills Pit to inspect rock layers, measure subsurface voids, and test the surrounding soil.
Imagine trying to explore a dark cave behind a waterfall. You cannot see inside, and the rocks are slippery and unstable. Normal walking robots might slide or get stuck. In this paper, the researchers designed a robot with legs that can hop and adjust to the uneven terrain, using sensors to measure the cave's shape and composition without needing to touch everything.
Lunar pits and lava tubes hold clues to the moon's volcanic past. Exploring them could reveal untouched rock layers and potential shelters for astronauts. LunarLeaper aims to be the first robot to reach these sites, providing data that no mission has before.
This paper does not describe an already flown mission; LunarLeaper remains a concept, and its feasibility and performance are evaluated only theoretically. No actual in situ data from a pit is presented. The review is limited to existing orbital data and models, and the proposed investigations may face unforeseen challenges in the extreme lunar environment.
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Lava Tube Exploration with LunarLeaper — Anna Mittelholz, Simon C. Stähler, Valentin T. Bickel et al.
Abstract licence: CC0
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper. This is a preprint, so it hasn't necessarily been peer reviewed.