Аннотация:Finding and utilizing the resources of the Moon is becoming more important with the prospect of humanoutposts on our planets satellite. When selecting a landing site, ilmenite, the main carrier of TiO2 on the Moon, is a key target due to its potential for oxygen extraction and because ilmenite traps 3He most effectively among the lunar minerals. The large dark mantle deposit in Mare Vaporum is one of the TiO2 richest areas on the Moon. Furthermore, dark haloed impact craters around Manilius crater within the Mare Vaporum region are surrounded by ejecta material with increased TiO2 abundance, making the larger region an important target for further scrutiny. In this work, we study this region to (1) assess the distribution of potential resources, (2) determine the formation mechanisms and (3) evaluate the suitability for establishing a human outpost. We use spectral parameters in the near-infrared wavelength range to determine the abundances of the major elements as well as glasses. Dark mantle deposits show higher glass and TiO2 abundances, while the surface surrounding the dark haloed impact craters only show increased TiO2. From a resource perspective, dark mantle deposits are of special interest because 3He bubbles form in the glasses, which require less energy to be extracted.Additionally, we use polarimetric observations to infer the relative grain sizes of the study area. It shows that the regolith of the region of interest is more coarsely grained, which in turn is characteristic for fresher or glassy material. Finally, digital elevation models show that the dark mantle deposit is characterized by steeper slopes compared to the terrain surrounding the dark haloed impact craters, which makes it challenging to land directly in the dark mantle deposit. After formation of the dark mantle deposits, ejecta and residue lead to a degradation of the north-western part of the dark mantle deposit, contributing to the U-shape observed today. The Rima Hyginus and Hyginus crater were formed by volcanic processes.
