\n<\/p>\n
In the two-way race between the U.S. and China to put humans back on the moon, the lunar south pole is widely considered the most prized place to land. The area is relatively resource-rich, pocked with dark craters that harbor water ice and that have near constant exposure to sunlight around their rims\u2014both desirable features for lunar bases. The South Pole-Aitken Basin\u2014the moon\u2019s largest and oldest impact structure\u2014dominates the region. Situated on the moon\u2019s far side, it is shielded from Earth\u2019s radio chatter, making it an ideal site for ultra-sensitive astronomy observations.<\/p>\n
But this promise comes with considerable peril: compared to other landing sites, the south pole region is harder to reach, and its craters more treacherous. And without a moon-orbiting relay, the far side is cut off from communicating with Earth.<\/p>\n
Still, the U.S. has selected nine candidate sites there for a landing attempt set for 2028 as part of NASA\u2019s Artemis program. But a new paper published yesterday in Nature Astronomy, strengthens the case that China is pursuing an easier initial crewed landing site closer to the equator and on the moon\u2019s near side, with a plan to put boots on the surface by 2030.<\/p>\n
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Using data from U.S., Chinese, Indian and Japanese lunar missions as well as archival observations from the ground-based Arecibo radio telescope, the authors argue that Rimae Bode\u2014a relatively flat region north of the equator on the moon\u2019s Earth-facing side\u2014is a top locale for China\u2019s first moonwalking astronauts.<\/p>\n
\u201cRimae Bode is a high-priority \u2018sweet spot,\u2019\u201d says Jun Huang, a planetary geologist at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan and co-lead author of the new study. \u201cThink of it as a prime piece of lunar real estate: its location near the equator provides much flatter, safer terrain for landing, along with constant sunlight for power [during the lunar day] and a direct line-of-sight to Earth for easy communication.\u201d<\/p>\n
An animation of flying over the Rimae Bode region (elevation exaggerated). Credit: Maosheng Yang and Jun Huang<\/p>\n
Jim Head, an emeritus professor at Brown University who helped select landing sites for NASA\u2019s Apollo moon missions and trained astronauts for geology fieldwork, agrees the region is a top candidate. He regularly collaborates with Chinese scientists developing that nation\u2019s lunar exploration program, but was not part of this study.<\/p>\n
\u201cRimae Bode would be on my \u2018lunar human exploration landing site short list,\u2019\u201d Head says, adding that the region was considered as an Apollo mission destination. \u201cMore than 50 years after Apollo, the importance of the multiple compelling scientific objectives at Rimae Bode remain!\u201d<\/p>\n
Rimae Bode is located between Mare Vaporum\u2014a basin filled with dark, cooled lava\u2014and the lighter-colored, older and more rugged central lunar highlands. \u201cScientifically, it\u2019s like a geological \u2018all-you-can-eat buffet\u2019 that the south pole can\u2019t provide,\u201d Huang says.<\/p>\n
He and his team identify five features of interest: a large, dark layer of glassy volcanic ash; a basalt plain called Sinus Aestuum; two basaltic terrains of Rimae Bode proper\u2014one of which is laced with volcanic trenches called rilles\u2014and, finally, the surrounding highlands.<\/p>\n
The paper sketches out the region\u2019s complex geology, analyzing its mineralogy and topography, as well as the distribution of craters across the landscape. The ash layer, for instance, probably erupted billions of years ago from the moon\u2019s mantle, offering a unique window into lunar history.<\/p>\n
Tiny glass beads in the ash are Rimae Bode\u2019s \u201ccrown jewels,\u201d Huang says\u2014these \u201ctime capsules\u201d could help reveal the moon\u2019s mysterious interior. \u201cBy studying them, we can finally understand what the moon is actually made of, deep inside, and piece together the complete story of how its volcanic activity evolved over time, transforming the moon from a fiery, active world into the quiet neighbor we see today,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Orbital observations suggest that the ash may also \u201ccontain significant water resources,\u201d says Clive Neal, a planetary scientist at the University of Notre Dame who was not involved in the new study. Water is critical for moon mission life support, and for making rocket fuel. \u201cAnd none of these deposits have been sampled before\u2014another [potential] first for China.\u201d<\/p>\n
Water-rich minerals in the ash could mean that the moon\u2019s mantle is wetter than scientists thought, Neal says. \u201cBut the bigger thing in this time of human exploration is the resource potential. Could we have an easier-to-get-to human outpost at the equator rather than the poles?\u201d<\/p>\n
Based on their analysis, Huang and his co-authors propose four potential landing sites within Rimae Bode; they also plot paths that Chinese astronauts could use to more safely explore and study the surrounding terrain. Huang\u2019s favorite of the four is Landing Site 2 (LS2), a flat patch in Rimae Bode\u2019s north within a few kilometers of multiple science targets. \u201cLS2 is a scientific \u2018triple threat,\u2019\u201d he says, giving astronauts access to the volcanic glass beads, a massive lunar trench, and \u201cunique high-thorium materials that are key to understanding the moon\u2019s chemical evolution.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obtaining samples from Rimae Bode would allow comparisons with lunar material gathered from other areas, Head says. The Apollo missions collectively brought back nearly 400 kilograms of material scooped up from mid-to-low lunar latitudes on the near side, while China\u2019s Chang\u2019e 5 and Chang\u2019e 6 robotic missions have returned smaller samples from the moon\u2019s near and far sides, respectively.<\/p>\n
If China does make a first crewed landing near the equator on the near side, that doesn\u2019t mean its astronauts won\u2019t later explore the lunar south pole or other harder-to-reach spots, Head says. China\u2019s Chang\u2019e 7 spacecraft, launching later this year, is set to land at the south pole at the rim of Shackleton Crater where it will search for water ice. Then, 2029\u2019s Chang\u2019e 8 mission is also designed to target the south pole as a precursor for China\u2019s crewed base called the International Lunar Research Station, which is being planned in partnership with Russia and other countries. The U.S. Apollo missions followed a similar progression, steadily advancing in difficulty and achievement, Head says: \u201cThe Chinese are following a safer, sequential path, as was done in Apollo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Much work remains to be done before anyone heads for Rimae Bode, of course. Huang and his coauthors are especially eager for higher-resolution images of the region to better characterize its geology and gauge how well astronauts could navigate its terrain\u2014something that could come from a new moon-mapping satellite that China announced last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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