Scientists discover Moon is shrinking, cracking: upcoming lunar missions in danger

Scientists from the National Air and Space Museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies have discovered that the moon is continuously shrinking and reshaping itself.

A new study claims that the moon has reduced in size as lunar experts discovered more than 1,000 new cracks on the moon’s surface, prompting warnings about the safety of future lunar missions.

The study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, states that the new discovery means that future exploration missions to the moon could be at risk from severe quakes.

The lead author of the study, Cole Nypaver, stressed that upcoming lunar missions as crucial for collecting data about lunar tectonics and seismic activity.

He added that the data will be directly beneficial for the safety and scientific success of those and future missions.

Nypaver said, “We are in a very exciting time for lunar science and exploration.”

Although the moon’s shrinking has been known to scientists since 2010; however, the discovery of new crack marks, known as “small mare ridges (SMRs)” is a significant development in lunar research.

Experts believe that development will help in a better understanding of the moon's geological features, including its interior, its thermal and seismic history.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which plans to land humans on the moon by 2028 may take extra precautions to ensure the safety of lunar explorers following the latest discovery.