Cryogeomorphic Characterization of Shadowed Regions in the Artemis Exploration Zone

The Artemis program will send crew to explore the south polar region of the Moon, preceded by and integrated with robotic missions. One of the main scientific goals of future exploration is the characterization of polar volatiles, which are concentrated in and near regions of permanent shadow. The meter‐scale cryogeomorphology of shadowed regions remains unknown, posing a potential risk to missions that plan to traverse or land in them. Here, we deploy a physics‐based, deep learning‐driven post‐processing tool to produce high‐signal and high‐resolution Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Narrow Angle Camera images of 44 shadowed regions larger than ∼40 m across in the Artemis exploration zone around potential landing sites 001 and 004. We use these images to map previously unknown, shadowed meter‐scale (cryo)geomorphic features, assign relative shadowed region ages, and recommend promising sites for future exploration. We freely release our data and a detailed catalog of all shadowed regions studied. Plain Language Summary In the next couple of years a large number of robotic missions and payloads will be delivered to the Moon, ultimately culminating in crewed missions. Those missions aim at characterizing lunar polar volatiles, which are concentrated in regions of permanent shadow. However, the small‐scale surface properties of shadowed regions remain largely unknown. The lack of knowledge poses a potential risk to future ground‐based missions that seek to enter shadowed regions. Here, we use a machine learning‐driven algorithm to remove noise from previously largely unusable satellite images of shadowed regions. We use those de‐noised images to study the surface properties of 44 small, shadowed regions in the Artemis exploration zone close to the lunar south pole for the first time, identifying potential hazards, and recommending sites for future exploration missions. We freely release our images along with a detailed catalog of the shadowed regions studied. Key Points We produce the first high‐signal‐to‐noise ratio and ‐resolution orbital images over 44 shadowed regions within the Artemis exploration zone using an AI tool We characterize the meter‐scale (cryo)geomorphology of those regions including surface texture, fresh craters, boulders, and relative age Our data are freely available and can be used to support future science and mission planning efforts in the area