Geological Chronicle
Situated on the southern hemisphere of the lunar far side, Chaffee spans 51.75 kilometers across within the double-ringed Apollo impact basin. The crater lies directly across the southwestern section of Apollo's inner mountain ring, with the elevated ridge extending northward from its northern rim.
Formed during the Nectarian period on the lunar geologic timescale, Chaffee retains a sharp, elevated perimeter that is only slightly degraded by subsequent bombardment. Its circular rim exhibits an uneven outline marked by small outward bulges, sharing a common border with satellite crater Chaffee F to the west and abutting Chaffee W along the northwest.
Inside the crater, the walls lack a well-formed terrace system and slope down to debris piles that reach across parts of the floor. While sections of the interior plain remain level, several small impacts mark the northern half, particularly northwest of the crater midpoint.
In 1970, the International Astronomical Union formally adopted the name Chaffee to honor American astronaut Roger Bruce Chaffee, who died in the Apollo 1 fire alongside Ed White and Gus Grissom, both of whom are also commemorated by nearby craters within the Apollo basin.