Moon's Shrinkage Poses Risks to Future Lunar Missions

Seismic activity from the moon's contraction could threaten proposed landing sites for NASA's Artemis III mission.

Scientists have discovered that the moon is shrinking due to its core gradually cooling over the last few hundred million years, causing its surface to wrinkle and form faults.
The shrinkage has led to notable surface warping in the moon's south polar region, including areas proposed for NASA's Artemis III crewed landings.
Fault formation caused by the moon's shrinking is often accompanied by seismic activity like moonquakes, posing potential dangers to future human exploration efforts.
Shallow moonquakes, which occur near the surface of the moon and can last for hours, combined with the moon's dry, gravel-like surface, increase the risk of landslides and structural damage to potential human settlements.
Researchers are mapping out the moon and its seismic activity to identify more locations that may be dangerous for human exploration, as NASA prepares for the Artemis missions, which aim to establish a long-term human presence on the moon.