Updated

Updated · The Brighter Side of News · Jun 16

Lunar Models Place 350-Meter Mantle Deposits Near Artemis Zones as 2,000-Km Basin Yields New Clues

Updated

Updated · The Brighter Side of News · Jun 16

Lunar Models Place 350-Meter Mantle Deposits Near Artemis Zones as 2,000-Km Basin Yields New Clues

Q: With Artemis landings delayed, when will astronauts finally collect these priceless samples from the Moon's deep mantle?

The earliest astronauts are now expected to collect those deep-mantle Moon samples on **Artemis IV, targeted for 2028**, because **Artemis III has been shifted to an Earth-orbit test mission in 2027** rather than a lunar landing. That matters because the new South Pole-Aitken basin studies suggest ancient impact ejecta may have placed mantle material much closer to the surface in the lunar south polar region, where Artemis missions are expected to operate. Researchers say this could give astronauts access to scientifically valuable rocks without deep drilling, potentially revealing how the Moon formed and how its interior evolved. NASA’s revised 2026 plan makes Artemis III a crewed systems and docking demonstration in Earth orbit, aimed at reducing risk before returning humans to the lunar surface. Under that schedule, **Artemis IV becomes the first crewed lunar landing mission** and therefore the first realistic chance for astronauts to gather these samples in person. That said, the 2028 target is still not guaranteed. Reporting and expert commentary tied to the revised Artemis schedule note continuing technical risks, especially around the lunar lander and supporting infrastructure. If those slip further, the actual collection of South Pole-Aitken mantle ejecta could move to **2029 or later**. So, based on the current plan, **2028 is the answer — but it remains a tentative date rather than a certainty**.

3 articles · Updated · The Brighter Side of News · Jun 16

New simulations suggest South Pole-Aitken ejecta left mantle-derived material in lunar south polar regions under consideration for Artemis, with average modeled thickness near 350 meters and some deposits reaching about 3 kilometers.
A best-fit impact model points to a 260-kilometer-wide differentiated body striking from north to south at roughly 13 kilometers per second and a 30-degree angle, reproducing the basin’s elongated shape.
Gravity data paired with ejecta modeling indicate the impact excavated deep lunar material and spread it asymmetrically, with an estimated 4.2 × 10^6 cubic kilometers of mantle ejecta and little expected uprange.
That pattern raises the chance that rovers or astronauts could sample ancient mantle material without deep drilling, especially where later impacts may already have exposed buried deposits.
The findings, published in Science Advances, could help Artemis planners target high-value sampling sites while refining theories of the Moon’s interior and early evolution.