Impact cratering is the most prominent deformation process that has affected solid bodies in the Solar System. In the past, important insights into cratering have been gained through knowledge of the cratering flow field and the recognition of rock deformation mechanisms ranging from the nano to the kilometer scales. Fundamental knowledge gaps exist, however, regarding the roles of temperature, melt and water activity on target rock deformation, and how mineralogical variants of shock metamorphism, grain-scale deformation and fragmentation on multiple scales operate mechanically during cratering. This pertains to resolving transitions in the mechanical states of target rocks during cratering, starting with shock compression, followed by a loss in cohesion leading to acoustic fluidization, and culminating in a regain in shear strength. It is the interaction of deformation mechanisms on multiple scales and their changes during cratering that the session will focus on. Moreover, the session seeks to highlight the consequences of crater-forming rock deformation for the possible origin of life, concentration of natural resource deposits, evolution of hydrothermal processes and long-term fluid flow within the realm of impact craters.