SPARX Report Defines Sample-Return Mission Architecture for Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin

The report responds directly to the 2023-2032 Origins Worlds and Life Decadal Survey priority for a New Frontiers-class lunar sample return. It specifies measurement requirements for chronology, mantle composition, and impact flux using a commercial lander plus ascent vehicle, with rendezvous in lunar orbit before Earth return. The design integrates Artemis south-polar infrastructure and recent commercial lander demonstrations to reduce cost and risk compared with prior standalone concepts. Analysis shows the basin's unique farside location and depth allow direct testing of the lunar magma ocean hypothesis and giant-impact basin chronology that cannot be addressed at nearside sites. The mission would collect and cache samples over 10-20 days of surface operations, leveraging mobility and drill technologies matured since the 2010s GRAIL and LRO missions. This approach marks a shift from purely robotic to hybrid human-robotic lunar exploration models. Next steps include NASA evaluation against competing New Frontiers proposals and potential Phase A study funding within two years of the Decadal Survey release.