Lunar south pole

The lunar south pole region features craters that are unique in that the near-constant sunlight does not reach their interior.

Such craters are cold traps that contain fossil records of hydrogen, water ice, and other volatiles dating from the early Solar System.

[1][2] In contrast, the lunar north pole region exhibits a much lower quantity of similarly sheltered craters.

Notable craters nearest to the lunar south pole include de Gerlache, Sverdrup, Shoemaker, Faustini, Haworth, Nobile, and Cabeus.

[9] Cold traps are some of the important places on the lunar south pole region in terms of possible water ice and other volatile deposits.

Cold traps can contain water and ice that were originally from comets, meteorites and solar wind-induced iron reduction.

The discovery of these two compounds has led to the funding of missions focusing primarily on the lunar poles using global-scale infrared detection.

The findings were proven inadequate due to the inconsistencies between the maps that were used, and also, they were not able to detect the magnitude of the magnetic fluctuations at the Moon's surface.

The LRO carries the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment, which investigates the radiation and thermophysical properties of the south pole surface.

The Moon Impact Probe separated from the Moon-orbiting Chandrayaan-1 on 14 November 2008, 20:06 IST and after nearly 25 minutes crashed as planned, near the rim of the crater Shackleton.

The mission was carrying 30 kg (66 lb) of scientific instruments, including a robotic arm for soil samples and possible drilling hardware.

It was later ejected on 28 February but was partially a failure as it returned all types of data, except post IM-1 landing images that were the main aim of its mission.

[2] Scientists used LOLA (Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter), which was a device used by NASA to provide an accurate topographic model of the Moon.

[8] The lunar south pole is a place where scientists may be able to perform unique astronomical observations of radio waves under 30 MHz.

[38] By locating a lunar resource processing facility near the south pole, solar-generated electrical power will allow for nearly constant operation.

[39] Elements known to be present on the lunar surface include, among others, hydrogen (H),[40] oxygen (O), silicon (Si), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), aluminium (Al), manganese (Mn) and titanium (Ti).

[44] This would lead to a series of missions landing equipment for a crewed base in a south polar region crater using their Blue Moon lander.

The lunar south pole at the center of this image, situated on the rim of Shackleton Crater . Mosaic image created by LROC ( Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ) and ShadowCam
A view of the south pole of the Moon showing where reflectance and temperature data indicate the possible presence of surface water ice
Full Moon with south polar region features marked
The several hundred kilometer wide Lunar south polar region as irradiated during summer. The south pole lies at the rim of Shackleton crater . The region is shadowed by the well illuminated Leibnitz plateau , flanked on the right by the Nobile crater and to the left by the partly shadowed Malapert crater and its Malapert peak illuminated at the rim of Haworth crater .
Aerial view of the polar region craters with elevation colouring
Lunar south polar region map (>80°S)
Degree of the slopes found within 15 degrees of the south pole of the Moon
India 's Chandrayaan-3 (2023) became the first lunar mission to achieve a soft landing near the lunar south pole.
Geological map of the lunar south pole region
A simulated view of Earth from the vicinity of Shackleton Crater , visible as a thin illuminated rim