Geologic History of the Shackleton Crater Region Near the Lunar South Pole: Basis for Future Exploration and Science Activities

Abstract The formation of Shackleton crater (∼21 km in diameter) represents the last major impact event that reshaped the south polar terrain of the Moon. Because the region is of high interest for future exploration, understanding the regional geology and stratigraphy is critical for selecting scientifically promising landing sites, targeting sample materials, and interpreting obtained samples. Here, we present a new 1:100,000-scale geological map of the region that provides context for several candidate landing sites for the Artemis program and the Chang’e-7 mission. We demonstrate that regional topography, particularly the Shackleton-de Gerlache Ridge, influences the emplacement distance, velocity, and angle of Shackleton ejecta. This controls ejecta thickness and mixing with local materials, leading to significant spatial variability in ejecta thickness and material provenance near candidate landing sites. These effects have direct implications for future landing missions, which will explore materials excavated by the Shackleton impact near the south pole. Combined with the geological context provided by the map, our analysis of ejecta emplacement and distribution provides critical information to help future missions address a variety of key scientific objectives through strategic sampling, and maximize the scientific return from the Shackleton crater region.