Los Alamos Proposes Fiber-Optic Cables to Detect Moonquakes Across Miles of Lunar Surface
Updated
Updated · Boy Genius Report · May 20
Los Alamos Proposes Fiber-Optic Cables to Detect Moonquakes Across Miles of Lunar Surface
3 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · May 20
Los Alamos researchers proposed unspooling fiber-optic cables across miles of the moon’s surface to detect moonquakes, extending a sensing method already used on Earth.
Distributed acoustic sensing sends laser pulses through cable to capture vibration and strain continuously, offering broader, real-time coverage than point-based seismometers.
Lab tests using crushed basalt suggest the cables may not need burial on the moon, where temperatures can swing from below -410F at night to 250F by day and drive seismic activity.
Earth deployments have shown the scale and cost advantage: Caltech drew data from a 62-mile cable equal to 10,000 seismometers, while one DAS interrogator costs about $200,000 versus up to $50,000 per seismometer.
More moonquake data could reveal the moon’s interior, composition and possible faults, while the same cables could also support communications for future lunar missions.
Could repurposing internet cables on the Moon finally reveal the secrets hidden within its mysterious core?
If a simple fiber-optic cable can predict a volcanic eruption, what other catastrophic events could it foresee?
Fiber-Optic Seismic Networks on the Moon: Unlocking Lunar Secrets for Artemis Missions
Overview
A new proposal from Los Alamos National Laboratory and ETH Zurich aims to revolutionize lunar seismology by using fiber-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). This approach transforms lightweight fiber-optic cables into dense arrays of seismic sensors that can detect vibrations and seismic waves across the Moon’s surface. Unlike traditional seismometers from the Apollo era, these cables do not require deep burial, making deployment much easier. The technology promises to greatly improve our understanding of the Moon’s interior, hidden lava tubes, landing sites, and water resources, supporting future lunar exploration and scientific discovery.