Radar-generated images of the likely landing zone for the next manned mission to the Moon in 2020 have revealed a landscape of extremes. Craters more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon vie with mountains soaring almost four miles up from the surface of the lunar south pole.

The area is much more rugged and uncompromising than expected but the lunar south pole is still regarded as one of the best locations for a permanent base to act as a launchpad for manned missions to Mars.

The images are 50 times more detailed than any previously taken of the region and are at a high enough resolution for objects the same size as as a house to be picked out.

“If you were standing in the middle of one of the craters or at the top of one of the mountains the views would be as breathtaking as anything on Earth,” said Scott Hensley, of the Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

The ground is pitted with craters from asteroid strikes, some so powerful that the asteroids ploughed 2.5 miles into the surface. By contrast, the deepest point of the Grand Canyon in the US is only just over a mile.

Mountains in the region measured up to 3.8 miles high, or 21,161ft. This outstrips any peak in Europe, North America and Africa, including Mount McKinley, at 20,320ft and Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,331ft.

Researchers mapping the surface near the Shackleton Crater were taken aback to find slopes as steep as one in four (25 per cent ) and one in five (20 per cent), which could present a challenge for Moon walking.

A number of potential landing sites were identified.

The last manned Moon landing was in 1972 but Nasa has announced it intends to attempt to return from 2020.

The southern polar region was ignored by previous Moon landings but has now been identified among the most suitable areas.

It is regarded as one of the least inhospitable parts with temperatures of about minus 50C (-58F), similar to Siberian winters, whereas equatorial regions veer from 100C to minus 180C. Crucially, much of the south pole is bathed in sunlight for 26 out of 28 Earth days, which would enable astronauts to exploit it for solar power. If Nasa builds a permanent base on the Moon, a reliable source of energy would be essential.

A further potential source of energy, and water, could come from ice deposits, which some scientists believe will be found in areas of permanent darkness at the bottom of craters. By separating the hydrogen and oxygen, lunar dwellers could use the ice to provide power.

“It continues to be an area of high interest for future human landings,” said Doug Cooke, of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at Nasa headquarters in Washington.

“The south pole of the Moon certainly would be a beautiful place to explore There are challenges that come with such rugged terrain, and these data will be an invaluable tool for advance planning.”

Radar readings were taken in 2006 by the Nasa Goldstone Solar System Radar in the Mojave desert, California. Signals were beamed 231,800 miles to an area of the lunar south pole measuring 100,000 square miles. It took 2.5 seconds for each beam to travel to the Moon and back.

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