{"id":802740,"date":"2026-06-21T06:49:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T11:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802740"},"modified":"2026-06-21T06:49:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T11:49:34","slug":"artemis-missions-target-south-pole-aitken-basin-on-the-moon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802740","title":{"rendered":"Artemis missions target South Pole\u2013Aitken basin on the moon"},"content":{"rendered":"


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View larger. | This globe map shows the South Pole-Aitken basin (blue) and surrounding regions. Here we see rocks from the moon\u2019s mantle, the thick, rocky layer directly beneath its thin outer crust. The rocks were blasted onto the surface by the giant impact that created this huge moon basin. Image via NASA\/ JPL-Caltech\/ Goddard\/ Gabe Gowman-U. Arizona\/ SwRI. Data from NASA\u2019s GRAIL mission and NASA\u2019s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Laser Altimeter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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  • The South Pole-Aitken basin<\/strong> is the largest impact basin on the moon. It\u2019s on the moon\u2019s far side. How did it form?<\/li>\n
  • Two new studies<\/strong> show that the asteroid that struck the moon, forming the basin, came from the north at a low angle. Rocks from both the lunar crust and mantle were ejected onto the surface.<\/li>\n
  • Future Artemis astronauts<\/strong> will land in and around the South Pole-Aitken region. The new studies help show what the astronauts can expect to find.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    You deserve a daily dose of good news.<\/strong> For the latest in science and the night sky, click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.<\/p>\n

    The South Pole\u2013Aitken basin region is a future landing site<\/h3>\n

    When Artemis astronauts return to the moon in the near future, they\u2019ll land near the lunar south pole. Of the nine possible landing sites, some are within the South Pole-Aitken basin. Others are on or near the rim of the basin, while still others are just outside of it.<\/p>\n

    For example, the sites Nobile Rim 1, Nobile Rim 2 and Haworth are within the basin (see map below). Malapert Massif is near the basin\u2019s rim. And de Gerlache Rim 2 is outside of the basin. Note that the basin\u2019s boundary is rather obscure and not sharply delineated. So it\u2019s not always clear which proposed landing sites are, technically, within the basin. <\/p>\n

    Now researchers have published two new peer-reviewed papers about the South Pole-Aitken basin. One is in Science Advances (May 6, 2026). And the other is in JGR Planets (April 23, 2026).<\/p>\n

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    View larger. | The 9 possible landing sites for future Artemis missions, in and around the South Pole-Aitken basin. Note that it will no longer be the Artemis 3 mission, in late 2027, that lands first. That mission will remain in Earth orbit. It will now be Artemis 4 and beyond for the landings. Image via NASA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Water ice and sunlight<\/h3>\n

    Here are two reasons this region was chosen for the astronauts: water ice and sunlight. The landing sites closest to the moon\u2019s south pole offer access to water ice, which the astronauts will need as a primary resource. The sites also experience long periods of sunlight.<\/p>\n

    This giant moon basin is the moon\u2019s oldest and largest impact crater, on the far side of the moon. But how much do we really know about this region? On June 15, 2026, researchers at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in California, said that they have found new details about the South Pole-Aitken basin.<\/p>\n

    Since it is one of the oldest structures on the moon, the basin provides clues about the early solar system.<\/p>\n

    William Bottke is the director of the Center for Lunar Origin and Evolution (CLOE) and executive director of SwRI\u2019s Science Directorate in Boulder, Colorado. He is also a co-author of both of the new studies. He said:<\/p>\n

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    The basin offers scientists a rare opportunity to study the moon\u2019s earliest history. The collision struck the lunar surface with such force that it may have excavated material from deep inside the moon, including portions of the lunar mantle [the region just below the moon\u2019s thin crust].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n