[U-04] Earth and Planetary Science Frontiers for Life and Global Environment

★ [U04-03] Unprecedented Zipangu Underworld of the Moon/Mars Exploration (UZUME)

*Junichi HARUYAMA¹, Isao KAWANO¹, Takahiro IWATA¹, Yukio YAMAMOTO¹, Toshiyuki NISHIBORI¹, Yoshiaki ISHIHARA¹, Keiko YAMAMOTO¹, Aiko NAGAMATSU¹, Tomokatsu MOROTA², Masaki NISHINO², Kazuto SAIKI³, Ko HASHIZUME³, Kensei KOBAYASHI⁴, Shin-ichi YOKOBORI⁵, Nobuyuki HASEBE⁶, Toshiaki HASENAKA⁷, Hideaki MIYAMOTO⁸, Hisayoshi SHIMIZU⁸, Goro KOMATSU⁹, Motomaro SHIRAO¹⁰, Shoko OSHIGAMI¹¹, Yuichi MICHIKAWA¹², Satoru YAMAMOTO¹³, Yasuhiro YOKOTA¹³, Takao KOBAYASHI¹⁴, Tatsuhiro MICHIKAMI¹⁵ (1.Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2.Nagoya University, 3.Osaka Univeristy, 4.Yokohama National University, 5.Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 6.Waseda University, 7.Kumamoto University, 8.University of Tokyo, 9.Universita d'Annunzio, 10.Institute of Planetary Geology, 11.National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 12.National Institute of Radiological, 13.National Institute for Environmental Studies, 14.Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, 15.Kindai University)

Keywords:Moon, Mars, vertical hole, cavern, life exploration, UZUME

Japanese lunar explorer SELENE (Kaguya) discovered gigantic vertical holes/pits of several 10 m to 100 m in diameters and depths in the Marius Hills, Mare Tranquillitatis, and Mare Ingenii of the Moon. These holes are possibly skylights of underground large caverns such as lava tubes. Similar hole/pit structures have been also found on the Mars. The caverns connecting to the Martian holes may be the best place for Martian lives to emerge, evolve and survive because of their safer conditions than the Martian surface.
Exploration into the lunar/Martian holes/pits and underlying subsurface caverns will probably provide valuable information about emergence and evolution of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial lives. We are now studying the missions and systems to investigate lunar and Martian holes and furthermore subsurface caverns associating to the holes/pts. We will realize projects to explore the holes and caverns. We have named the series of the projects as UZUME (Unprecedented Zipangu Underworld of the Moon/Mars Exploration).