Fibre-optics to look inside the Moon

The Moon’s interior remains a mystery, with scientists still relying on limited data from Apollo-era seismometers that ceased operation in 1977. Now, researchers at ETH Zurich are proposing a 21st-century upgrade: turning the lunar surface into a giant fibre-optic sensor network. The team suggests that rovers could unroll kilometres of lightweight fibre-optic cables, similar to those used for internet on Earth, across the lunar surface. Using ‘Distributed Acoustic Sensing’ (DAS), laser pulses are sent through the fibres to detect how the cable stretches or vibrates in response to moonquakes, meteorite impacts, or even the tremors of a landing spacecraft.

While Earth’s wind usually requires such cables to be buried, the Moon’s lack of atmosphere would allow them to be laid directly on the surface. This high-resolution network could act like a planetary ultrasound, mapping hidden lava tubes, water ice, and the deep lunar interior. As lead author Simone Probst notes, the technology could even monitor dust stirred up by rocket exhaust, helping to mitigate risks for future explorers. If successful, fibre-optic networks could transform our celestial neighbour into the most densely instrumented seismic laboratory beyond Earth.

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agupubs.onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025EA004817