Spectral Characterization of Shoemaker Crater at the lunar south pole: Possible science objective for the Artemis Ⅲ Human Mission to Moon

摘要

The upcoming Artemis mission of NASA is planned to land humans within 6 degrees of the lunar South Pole. This work analyzes spectral parameters obtained from hyperspectral datasets to characterize the Shoemaker crater in the lunar south pole region as one of the landing sites for the Artemis Ⅲ mission. This work utilizes the hyperspectral data from Moon Mineralogy Mapper of Chandrayaan-1 launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation, to extract the band depth, slope, band center, and band area. There is a possibility of cold water traps in this crater as it is one of the permanently shadowed areas and falls within 6 degrees of the south pole. Comparison of spectral parameters from shoemaker crater and Hutton impact crater (far side) and Le Verrier. a lunar impact crater on the north of the Mare Imbrium (near side), shows the difference in band parameters at 2000nm. The band depth and band slope trends, Integrated Band depth indices, and Optical maturity parameters are also showing significant differences. The spectral trends also depict that these regions have reflected the solar wind ions and depositions of various ions due to cometary impact; hence they can provide much important science about lunar swirls or magnetism. The extraction of hydrogen from the bottom of the craters in the lunar south pole and its analysis for solar wind ion and the cometary impact can be one of the Artemis Ⅲ mission's science objectives.