Artemis astronauts landing near the lunar south pole could sample ejecta from the South Pole–Aitken event, potentially accessing material excavated from deep beneath the surface without drilling.

The collision likely ejected mantle material toward the south pole, meaning lunar landings there could encounter deposits from depths deeper than 56 miles (about 90 kilometers).

A Science Advances study published May 7 used high-resolution 3D simulations led by Purdue University’s Shigeru Wakita to model the impact dynamics and resulting basin morphology.

The impactor’s differentiated structure—a dense core and rocky outer shell—helps explain SPA’s tapered shape and southward asymmetry, aligning with crustal variations and thorium- and iron-rich material southwest of the basin.

The model’s predictions are testable: returned samples could confirm whether SPA ejecta contains deep-mantle material and distinguish it from contamination via isotopes, trace elements, and mineral chemistry.

The research could help determine the SPA basin’s age and reveal details about the Moon’s deep interior, shedding light on lunar evolution more than 4 billion years ago.

NASA has revised the Artemis timeline, with the first crewed moon landing now planned for Artemis 4 no earlier than 2028; the study’s results remain relevant for future mission planning and science objectives.

Verification is essential: if rocks collected by future missions match the model’s predictions, it would bolster a deep-mantle source for the ejecta; if not, revisions to lunar history would be prompted.

A Science Advances study proposes the SPA basin was formed by a differentiated asteroid about 260 kilometers wide, not a simple undifferentiated body.

The basin formed from a differentiated 260-kilometer-wide impactor hitting the Moon from north to south at roughly 13 kilometers per second and a shallow angle.

The SPA basin remains a central target for understanding lunar interior history, with China’s Moon ambitions adding urgency to securing scientifically valuable sites near the south pole.

NASA’s Artemis plan has shifted to include an additional mission and a revised sequence, positioning potential south-polar landings to explore ejecta from this ancient impact regardless of exact mission numbering.