Diverse Lunar Polar Permanently Shadowed Regions and Environmental Metrics for Site Planning Decision-Making

The key element in the characterization and operational planning of volatile behavior at the lunar poles is to assess the environmental variability of Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles. These PSRs can be classified into three main types (A, B, and C) based on their physical distribution within the host crater (due to topography and illumination environmental characteristics). We find that the surficial emplacement of these volatiles may also be linked to subsurface thermal variability, which influences volatile retention. Understanding the environmental factors allows for the comparison of PSRs for the context of scientific objectives, like for Artemis, and for the development of effective and adaptive decision-making capabilities for site and resource operation planning. This paper discusses the diverse nature of PSRs for scientific objective and site planning perspectives, including environmental metrics that decision-making frameworks can utilize.