A new study published in Science Advances has refined important details about the moon's largest and oldest impact crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin. This crater stretches more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km) on the far side of the moon. The refined details can help guide NASA's Artemis mission, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface.
The study, led by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, used data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to map the crater's structure. They found that the impact that created the basin likely excavated material from the moon's mantle, which could be sampled by future missions.
This discovery is significant because it provides a target for Artemis astronauts to collect rocks that may contain clues about the moon's early history and formation. The basin's age is estimated at about 4.3 billion years, making it one of the oldest features on the moon.
