A UK-based Indian-origin scientist has received a portion of the world's first lunar soil samples collected from the Moon's far side, courtesy of China's Chang'e-6 mission, according to BBC. This historic achievement marks the first time any nation has retrieved material from the Moon's far side, a region previously unexplored due to communication challenges.
According to BBC, Professor Mahesh Anand is the only scientist in the UK to have been loaned this extremely rare material, which he describes as "more precious than gold dust".
"Nobody in the world had access to China's samples, so this is a great honour and a huge privilege," he says.
After grinding and zapping the dust with lasers, Professor Anand's team hopes to answer fundamental questions about how the Moon formed and about the early years of planet Earth.
Inside the grains of dust could be evidence to back up scientists' theory that the Moon was made from the debris thrown out when Earth struck a Mars-sized planet 4.5 billion years ago.
China collected the rocks on its Chang'e 5 space mission in 2020 when it landed on a volcanic area called Mons Rumker.
A robotic arm drilled into the soil to collect 2kg of material, which was brought back to Earth in a capsule which landed in Inner Mongolia, as per BBC report.
The Chang'e-6 mission successfully returned approximately 1.9 kilograms of lunar material in June 2024. These samples are being distributed to international researchers for analysis. Notably, the lunar soil exhibits distinct characteristics compared to previous samples, including a more porous structure and differing mineral compositions, such as higher plagioclase and lower olivine content.
This collaboration underscores China's commitment to international scientific cooperation in space exploration. The involvement of an Indian-origin scientist in the UK highlights the global nature of lunar research and the shared pursuit of understanding our celestial neighbour.
