South Pole-Aitken basin sample Return and eXploration (SPARX) Science Definition Team Report

Abstract

Sample return from South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA) on the Moon has been recognized as the highest priority lunar science mission for well over two decades, appearing as a recommended New Frontiers class mission in the two previous Planetary Science Decadal Survey documents (2003-2012 New Frontiers, 2013-2022 Visions and Voyages), and as a prioritized mission for the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (LDEP) in the 2023-2032 Origins, Worlds, and Life Decadal Survey. The South Pole-Aitken basin presents the ideal target destination to test nearly 60 years of lunar science hypotheses owing to a unique combination of its size, antiquity, and location on the lunar farside. Convened by NASA in response to OWL Decadal Survey recommendations, the SPARX report provides analysis on prioritized science objectives, measurement requirements, implementation architectures, and a design reference mission for a South Pole-Aitken basin sample return mission. The mission profiles presented in this report leverage key advancements in remote surface exploration technology, the U.S. commercial space industry, and the programmatic focus on sustained human presence and exploration at the lunar south polar region. The science objectives and measurements presented in this report outline a mission that would transform lunar science, would address multiple high-level Decadal science questions at the only place in the Solar System where they can be credibly addressed, would pioneer a new paradigm for planetary surface exploration in the 21st century, would leverage the burgeoning space economy to pursue ground-breaking science on a more cost-efficient basis, and would unite robotic exploration with human exploration in a model for a future sustained lunar enterprise.