When scientists in the mid-1970s determined that the Mistastin crater in Labrador, Canada, had lunar-like properties, the last Apollo missions had already flown and it was too late for astronauts to use the site as a training ground.
But now, the Moon exploration missions are starting to intensify again. NASA astronauts on the Artemis mission may be able to take advantage of this crater. The Artemis mission team is currently gearing up for their next Moon mission.
Quoted from Global News, an expert in Canada said that craters in this remote region could provide important insight into what awaits them.
Gordon Osinski, a professor in the department of Earth sciences at Western University in London, UK, said Mistastin was discovered as an impact crater in the mid-1970s.
Impact craters are created when an asteroid or meteorite crashes into Earth, melting and recrystallizing the rock via the shock wave. One of the unique things about Mistastin, says Osinski, is that it is formed from anorthosite, a light-colored, highly reflective rock, which makes up most of the Moon's surface which is called the Lunar plateau.
"It also makes it one of the best training grounds for Artemis astronauts," said Osinski.
"My dream is that every astronaut walking on the Moon in the next few years will visit this impact crater first because of these attributes," he continued.
A Canadian astronaut will be part of Artemis II, which is set to fly in May 2024. This will make Canada the second country to have an astronaut fly around the Moon.
During the 10-day mission, the crew is expected to set a record for the farthest human journey beyond the far side of the Moon. Artemis III, which is currently targeted to launch in 2025, is expected to bring humans back to the surface of the Moon for the first time to explore the region near the South Pole of the Moon.
Mistastin, also known as Kamestastin, is in the traditional First Nations hunting grounds of the Mushuau Innu tribe. George Rich of the Innu Nation says they welcome scientists as long as they get the necessary permits to be on their traditional lands.
A spokesman for the Canadian space agency said no decisions had been made regarding astronaut training at this time. "We will be happy to support opportunities for training when the time comes," said Sarah Berjaoui.
For your information, Apollo mission astronauts trained in the Arizona Meteor Crater, which is just over a kilometer wide, much smaller than Mistastin, which is 28 kilometers wide. Meanwhile, astronauts from the Apollo 16 and 17 missions in the early 1970s trained in Sudbury, Ontario because of the lack of greenery and extensive bedrock, which made the crew feel like they were on the Moon.
Cassandra Marion, a science adviser at the Canadian Air and Space Museum in Ottawa who has visited the Mistastin crater six times, describes the place as "absolutely beautiful." The crater lies on the tundra-taiga route and can be accessed via cargo planes that land at one of two airstrips.
"The crater is serene and the rocks are similar to those found on the surface of the Moon," he said. But Mistastin is different in several ways, including having abundant blueberry bushes and a lake that is a remnant of the last Ice Age.
Osinski, who has been to the crater twice, said Mistastin could be used to train astronauts in geology, teaching them how to record observations in entirely new areas.
"This is obviously important, because the astronauts won't see the samples when they return to Earth. So it's important to make sure they capture all the observations we need," he said.
According to him, Mistastin Crater can be a training ground to select the best rocks to study and make notes for researchers.
