^1,2,3D. P. Moriarty III,¹N. E. Petro,¹B. A. Cohen
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets Open Access Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009429]
¹NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, USA
²University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
³Center for Research andExploration in Space Science and Technology, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Several national space agencies and commercial entities are currently targeting the Moon’s south polar region for human and robotic exploration. Of particular interest are materials excavated and ejected from the Moon’s largest and oldest impact structure, the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), as these ancient materials are a window into the early history of the Moon. SPA ejecta and impact melt are associated with the presence of Fe, Th, and pyroxene minerals. Mons Kocher, within the NASA Artemis exploration zone, exhibits elevated Fe, Th, and pyroxene abundance and presents a viable opportunity for Artemis astronauts to sample SPA material. Using orbital hyperspectral data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, we investigated the distribution of mafic minerals across the Mons Kocher region. We identified two types of mafic-bearing units: small (∼300 m) craters and sun-facing slopes. Spectral properties of the small craters (as well as the nearby ∼21 km Kocher crater) are consistent with low-Ca pyroxene, whereas the illuminated slopes exhibit similar pyroxenes with possible signatures of hematite-driven space weathering. Using least cost path models, we generate optimized traverse paths to the mafic craters through integration of topographic slope, average Earth visibility, and average solar illumination data.