Gassendi Crater

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The Northeast Planetary Data Center at NASA's RPIF System was led by Seth S Horowitz and Peter H. Schultz. Their mission focused on the lunar orbit and landing approach. Gassendi crater is 110 km in diameter, situated near the northern edge of Mare Humorum at 17.5°S latitude and 39.9°W longitude. The crater features a complex network of intersecting fractures known as Rimae Gassendi. Some of these massive cracks are over a thousand meters wide. Researchers are unsure about the origin of these fractures within Gassendi's floor. After the impact, the crater floor was molten, and as it cooled, a solid crust formed at its surface. As the entire crater floor continued to cool and settle into its final shape, fractures may have developed due to the forces caused by these changes. This model has been amplified three times vertically for better visualization.