NASA's Artemis Mission to Explore Moon's Largest Impact Crater
A new study suggests that the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin, the moon's largest impact crater, was likely created by a differentiated asteroid. This finding could have significant implications for future lunar exploration, as NASA's Artemis astronauts are expected to land near the lunar south pole, where material from the SPA basin may be present. The study, led by researchers from Purdue University, used high-resolution 3D simulations to determine that the SPA's distinctive shape was caused by a 160-mile-wide asteroid with a dense iron core. This impact likely scattered deep lunar material near the south pole, offering a unique opportunity for scientific discovery. 
