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The Moon features prominently in the Planetary Science Division’s decadal survey 2013-2022. Priority lunar missions include South Pole-Aitken Sample Return and establishing a Lunar Geophysical Network (New Frontier’s level missions). Other important lunar science to be addressed by future missions and listed in the survey are:
- The nature of polar volatiles;
- The significance of recent lunar activity at potential surface vent sites;
- The reconstruction of the thermal-tectonic-magmatic evolution of the Moon;
- The impact history of the inner solar system through the exploration of lunar terrains.
The next decade represents an almost unique opportunity to not only explore the Moon, but also the solar system via the Moon in two major areas:
1) Impact History: the Moon can be used to better constrain both the ancient and recent impact history of the inner solar system. This knowledge contains critical implications for the origin of life on Earth and beyond.
2) Planetary Evolution: the Moon represents the smaller end-member in terms of terrestrial planet evolution because its small size suggests the internal structure was established and thermal-tectonic-magmatic evolution occurred early in solar system history, preserving a stage that has since been obliterated in the larger terrestrial planets. The Moon also represents the larger end-member in small body evolution, adding to the understanding of the evolution of asteroids and other stony moons.
A framework is presented on how to take advantage of these opportunities and grow the lunar community into the next decade.
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