RECONNAISSANCE IMAGES SPECIALLY PREPARED FOR GOLDEN SPIKE’S INDIEGOGO MOON LANDERS Mission Site Selection

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(1) Aristarchus Crater (5) Schroter’s Valley

(2) Copernicus Crater (6) Tycho Crater

(3) Davy Crater Chain (7) Plato Crater

(4) Marius Hills (8) Dionysius Crater

Credit: Full moon from NASA Galileo, site images from NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Aristarchus Crater

Latitude – 23.7°N Longitude – 47.4°W

Brightest (highest albedo) of the large lunar formations, including unusual glow in blue, violet, and ultraviolet Highlights spectrums. 25 miles wide and 2 miles deep. Identified by NASA Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) as highest in-situ resource utilization score site. Located at the southeastern edge of the Aristarchus plateau, an elevated area of volcanic features within the large mare Oceanus Procellarum. Studies using Hubble Terrain imagery have discovered indications of oxygen-rich ilmenite – a titanium oxide mineral from which future astronauts may be able to extract oxygen.

The NASA “Human Lunar Return study” of 1995 planned Background for a small habitat at Aristarchus.

More images… Copernicus Crater

Latitude – 9.7°N Longitude – 20.0°W

Prominent large crater near southern rim of Mare Imbrium. Highlights 58 miles in diameter with 2,600 foot central peak.

Hummocky crater rim; southern half of crater bottom is hilly while northern half is relatively smooth. Floor consists Terrain of diverse mineral morphologies from impact melts. Crater rays spread 500 miles across surrounding mare. Apollo 12 landed north of Copernicus in its ejecta rays. NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 12 photographed the crater at an Background oblique angle. Data from NASA’s LROC-NAC have identified occurrence of new Mg-spinel rock type seen at only two other locations.

More images… Davy Crater Chain

Latitude – 11.1°S Longitude – 6.4°W

29-mile long chain of 23 craters believed to be result of Highlights single body breaking apart prior to impacting the rotating Moon. Near Alphonsus Crater (top weighted LEAG site). Within the large, very old Davy Y Crater along lava-flooded Terrain eastern edge of Mare Nubium. Davy has a low outer rim and lacks a central peak. NASA’s Ranger 9 probe impacted within nearby Alphonsus Background on March 24, 1965. Apollo 12 photographed the site during a flyby. Considered for Apollo 14 landing.

More images… Marius Hills

Latitude – 13.9°N Longitude – 56.9°W

Set of volcanic domes represent highest concentration of Highlights lunar volcanic features. Location of lava tube opening.

Located within the Oceanus Procellarum. Region was volcanically active in the past and includes sinuous rilles – Terrain formed either as open lava channels or as lava tubes. A Japanese team has made multiple observations of a pit opening in the area.

Background Alternative landing site for Apollo 15.

More images… Schroter’s Valley

Latitude – 25.0°N Longitude – 52.6°W

Largest sinuous rille on the Moon. Subject of numerous Highlights transient lunar phenomena observations.

Located on the raised Aristarchus plateau. Maximum width of about 6 miles, runs for over 80 miles. Believed to be of Terrain volcanic origin. Interior floor is level and contains secondary, smaller rille. Large, eastern section known as “Cobra Head.”

Background Planned site for the canceled Apollo 18 mission.

More images… Tyco Crater

Latitude – 43.3°S Longitude – 11.4°W

Prominent crater with extensive, bright ejecta rays in Highlights southern lunar highlands. Easily identifiable from Earth.

Surface around Tycho is difficult to land or maneuver on due to multitude of overlapping craters. Inner wall is slumped and terraced; floor is flat but covered with Terrain boulders, domes, cracks, and hills. Rays extend for over 900 miles. Subject of great scientific interest as a relatively young and well-preserved crater used to study crater formation.

Apollo 17 recovered samples of the crater rays. NASA’s Background Surveyor 7 landed about 18 miles from Tycho’s rim.

More images… Plato Crater

Latitude – 51.6°N Longitude – 9.3°W

Conspicuous dark crater near the lunar north pole. Highlights

Ancient crater floor filled-in with flat lava remains. Rimmed by irregular high peaks and lacking a central peak. Over 60 Terrain miles wide. Observations of Plato from Earth claim to have revealed transient lunar phenoma including changes in floor brightness, unusual colors, and mists.

NASA expresses interest in exploring the area for its Background possible pyroclastic deposits (small, glassy volcanic beads)

More images… Dionysius Crater

Latitude – 2.8°N Longitude – 17.3°E

Highlights Nearby the Apollo 11 landing site.

Circular with little sign of wear to rim. High albedo crater surrounded by darker deposits. Approximately 11 miles wide 1.5 miles deep. Located along the western edge of the Sea of Tranquility, near larger Ritter and Sabine craters. Terrain Recent observations have detected rare geologic combination of granular flows along the inner walls and impact melt along outer walls. Surrounding ray system contains both light and dark ejecta.

Apollo 11 photographed Dionysius from an oblique angle Background prior to landing.

More images…