Decapitated asteroid may have carved the Moon's largest crater, Artemis could sample its mantle
A Purdue-led study using high‑resolution 3D simulations proposes that the Moon’s South Pole–Aitken basin was formed by a 260-km differentiated asteroid that struck the Moon at a shallow, north‑to‑south angle, effectively decapitating its outer layers while the iron core continued plowing, flinging mantle material toward the lunar south pole. If correct, the SPA ejecta could be among the samples future Artemis missions reach, offering clues to the Moon’s deep interior and the basin’s age.