Named in honor of Paul D. Spudis, planetary geologist and expert on lunar geology, from the multi-ring basins to the genesis of highland breccias and origin and evolution of the lunar crust. He is a staff scientist with the Lunar and Planetary Institute and has served as deputy leader of the science team for the Clementine mission to the moon. Other important research by Spudis has been on the geology and impact mechanics of craters on all the terrestrial planets. (M 35486; M 35523) _ _.