Geological exploration of the Moon

The earliest studies of the Moon consisted of observations from Earth and meteorites containing lunar material. As technology progressed, the observations were made using remote sensing techniques. The next stage of the Moon reconnaissance consisted of unmanned flights, and later manned flights, with the help of which, in-situ tests were performed. The obtained materials enable the formulation of conclusions both about the geological structure and the mineral resources of the moon. The latest maps provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and NASA Planetary Data System ( PDS) enable a detailed analysis of the geological structure of the moon. Since they are available in shapefile format for QGIS and ArcGIS software, they can be freely modified and processed. On the basis of these, it is possible to analyze the complexity of the geological structure of the moon, especially with regard to the structure of its substrate and the surface covered with craters. Data obtained from the observation of the Moon with the use of research satellites and research carried out during landings related to the collection of samples enabled the formulation of conclusions about the raw materials present there. These raw materials are related to the surface layer of the so-called regolith, the recognition of which is relatively good because it is based not only on remote studies but also on the basis of collected samples. Additionally, there are indications of the possible presence of mineral resources related to the substrate, but its recognition is relatively poor because it is based on remote and geophysical surveys. The presented analysis shows that the Moon has such minerals as rare earth elements (REE) and Th and U found in the KREEP area. Fe and Ti are found to be in basaltic lava flows occurring in the mares and aluminum, silicon and Helium-3 occur in the regolith.