ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO Two sharp-eyed investigators using radar astronomy imagery and photos of the Moon snapped by the U.S. Defense Departments Clementine orbiter have pinpointed the best place to help kick-start a 21^st century program of lunar exploration and utilization.

The site, Malapert Mountain, is located 76 miles (122 kilometers) from the Moons South Pole. (For those not Moon-map impaired, the mountain is located 86 degrees South Latitude, 0 degrees Longitude.) This ideal spot -- unlike any other area on neighboring Luna has been highlighted as being suitable for astronomy, communications relay purposes, and perfect to help foster commercial development of the Moon.

Along with Clementine snapshots of the lunar South Pole region, the researchers made use of radar interferometry work done in 1999, led by Jean-Luc Margot at Cornell University. That data helped chart the elevation of the towering mountain and appreciate its unique local topography.

A central attribute of 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) high Malapert Mountain is that it basks in sunlight over 90 percent of the time. The site is power rich thanks to that constant rain of sun, enough so to energize habitats and keep all manner of high-tech gear humming along.

In addition, Malapert Mountain is the master of its domain. From the mountain peak, a staggering view of the lunar South Pole region is available. That lunar terrain is thought to hold a reservoir of frozen water ice, pocketed in deep craters that never see a ray of warming sunlight.

Transforming such a resource into drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and rocket propellant could radically alter a now dead Moon into a lively location for human exploration.

Europe too has given the once-over to the mountain. The European Space Agencys EuroMoon 2000 project also pointed out that Malapert Mountain was a place of uninterrupted power and communications.

Sharpe said that computer runs about the Moon mountain show the area receives full sunlight 89 percent of the time and partial solar energy another four percent of the time. Some seven percent of the time the peak experiences a full sunset.

"Theres sort of a sunset season over five or six months a year. The other five or six months the mountain is in continuous, full sunlight. So that immediately lets you envision such things as rovers going around the peak in synchronicity with the Sun. As they do, the rovers can relay data up to the top, which is relayed to Earth," Sharpe said.

The Sun is above the horizon for all but 35 to 40 days a year, every year.

"There are big priorities for going into space. You need communications and power. So finding a site that gives you both continuous communications and the longest period of sunlightits a dream situation," said Schrunk.

One exciting revelation by the team, using a commercial software program, is that the entire disk of the Earth remains in constant view from the lunar peak.

"The Earth drops down in the lunar sky and touches within a half-degree of the horizon, then goes climbing back up into the lunar sky. Its a very big plus," Sharpe said.

The always-visible Earth means continuous real-time operations between the Earth and the Moon are possible, Schrunk added.

Utilizing a computer aided design layout, the researchers suggest that Malapert Mountains direct line of sight to the pole permits robotic or human forays into that area, with the peak used as an Earth relay.

For instance, one treasure trove of a feature to explore is crater Shackleton.

"From the peak you could power beam and control devices all throughout the south polar region. So its a big advantage from that logistical standpoint," Schrunk said.

"Our basic premise is that we would like to establish infrastructure on the Moon that could service all future customers, providing them plug and play capability," Sharpe said.

"We found in the Apollo program," Sharpe added, "that you can put gadgets on the Moon and they last and endure. Hardware is not going to rot, rust, burn, be vandalized or blow away in a hurricane. They are going to sit there and not reorient themselves."

At the peak summit of Malapert Mountain, a fairly large area of somewhat level terrain is available. Little is know, however, about surface roughness of that particular piece of moonscape.

Ideally, the study team suggests, dispatching an instrumented robotic lander to the peak summit would be an important first step. From its vantagepoint, the automaton could survey the horizon, confirming the presence and absence of Sun-blocking terrain and carry out other tasks.

Sharpe and Schrunk believe theres a six-degree downslope to Malapert Mountain, to the west-northwest. That should make for easy access to, and return from, surrounding points of interest at lower elevations.

Contributing to the sites allure is the down slope of the mountain that faces away from the Earth. A radio telescope could be installed there. And at the base of Malapert, permanently shadowed craters are just right for installing infrared telescopes that must work under super-cold conditions to perform their detecting duties.

"Astronomy benefits greatly because of the unique character of this mountain and its position in the Moons South Pole region," Schrunk said.

Placing a navigational beacon on the mountaintop, and additional beacons atop surrounding areas, incoming landers could be easily guided to precision landings in the area.

In their judgment, the two analysts feel Malapert Mountain is the crème de la crème of lunar locales. "There isnt any other like it, and there doesnt appear to be any other mountain within hailing distance of second place," Sharpe said.

"A real estate developer would want dibs on this more than any other place up there," Sharpe concluded.