The Once and Future Moon describes the scientific legacy of the 1960s Apollo landings as well as the 1994 Clementine mission, which led to the first global mapping of the Moon and the unexpected discovery of ice in the areas near its south pole.

Spudis presents a detailed picture of the Moon's composition and geological history: he describes the domes, cones, and channels created by its now inactive volcanoes, as well as the four billion years of bombardment evident in the regolith - a layer of dust and rock debris that thickly covers the lunar surface. He traces the evolution and properties of the Moon's crust and explains the currently accepted but unproven "Big Whack" theory of lunar origin.

1. The Moon, Spudis contends, is a kind of Rosetta stone, enabling us to read the otherwise indecipherable text of planetary evolution. The far side of the Moon, uniquely shielded from Earth's electrical din, offers a quiet, stable site for unprecedented observations of the universe. Even a small array of telescopes situated there would far exceed the resolving capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Providing an evenhanded chronicle of the fluctuating fortunes of the U.S. space program, this book presents as well a rational plan for humanity's return to the Moon.