SPA Basin (IMAGE)
Caption
Scientists from the Center for Lunar Origin and Evolution, a virtual NASA organization led by Southwest Research Institute, studied materials excavated when a large impactor created the ancient South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin (blue), a massive structure on the Moon’s far side. Two complementary studies determined that SPA’s surrounding area contains mantle-derived rocks (orange and black), offering information about the interior of the Moon and its earliest history. Proposed landing sites (white squares) for upcoming Artemis missions to the lunar south pole lie within the region, allowing astronauts access to study these materials.
Credit
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard/Gabe Gowman-U. Arizona. Data from NASA’s GRAIL mission and NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Laser Altimeter.
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