New discoveries about the Moon’s formation challenge previous notions and open new horizons for space exploration
Significant breakthroughs in astronomy have reshaped our understanding of the Moon, Earth’s natural satellite.
It has been revealed that the widely accepted theory about the formation of the largest and oldest crater on the Moon requires serious revision.
This pivotal development enhances our capacity to study the internal structure and geological history of the Moon more thoroughly.
The new insights into the South Pole-Aitken basin—its origin and composition—are crucial for upcoming NASA Artemis missions, which aim to land astronauts on the lunar surface and investigate this enormous impact structure.
Research indicates that the colossal collision, which occurred approximately 4.46 billion years ago, when Theia — a planet-sized body roughly comparable to Mars — struck the early Earth, resulted in ejecting a substantial amount of radioactive materials, including potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus—collectively known as KREEP.
Analyzing these materials offers scientists a way to unlock secrets of the Moon’s evolution and explain why its far side is covered by a thicker crust compared to the near side.
Recent studies suggest that the impact was likely from the north, challenging earlier models that proposed southern origins for this crater.
This discovery has profound implications for future Artemis missions; many landing sites around the basin’s lower edges contain valuable mineral deposits formed during ancient geological processes.
Furthermore, scientists speculate that the Moon could conceal abundant resources in its depths, far exceeding previous estimates, which opens new prospects for space resource mining and strategic utilization of lunar materials for Earth-based technologies.