Regions of interest (ROI) for future exploration missions to the lunar South Pole

• Published in: Planetary and Space Science
• Main Authors: Flahaut, Jessica, Carpenter, J., Williams, J.-P., Anand, M., Crawford, I.A., van Westrenen, W., Füri, E., Xiao, L., Zhao, S.
• Other Authors: Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques (CRPG), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Agence Spatiale Européenne = European Space Agency (ESA), University of California (UC), Planetary and Space Sciences Milton Keynes (PSS), School of Physical Sciences Milton Keynes, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Milton Keynes, The Open University Milton Keynes (OU)-The Open University Milton Keynes (OU)-Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Milton Keynes, The Open University Milton Keynes (OU)-The Open University Milton Keynes (OU), Birkbeck College University of London, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam (VU), China University of Geosciences Wuhan (CUG)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2020
• Subjects: [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02345336; https://hal.science/hal-02345336/document; https://hal.science/hal-02345336/file/for%20HAL.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2019.104750

International audience The last decades have been marked by increasing evidence for the presence of near-surface volatiles at the lunar poles. Enhancement in hydrogen near both poles, UV and VNIR albedo anomalies, high CPR in remotely sensed radar data have all been tentatively interpreted as evidence for surface and/or subsurface water ice. Lunar water ice and other potential cold-trapped volatiles are targets of interest Highlights • There is increasing evidence for cold-trapped volatiles around the South Pole, that are targeted by upcoming lander and rover missions.