Moon Samples
- All
- News
- Videos
-
Space Missions of 2025: Lunar Landings, Asteroid Sampling, and More
Space exploration in 2025 will see remarkable missions from global agencies like NASA, ESA, China, and Japan. Key initiatives include lunar landings through NASA’s CLPS and Japan’s M2/Resilience, which will test new technologies and study lunar resources. China’s Tianwen-2 mission aims to collect asteroid samples and explore a comet, advancin...
-
New Study Suggests the Moon Is 100 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought
Recent findings indicate the Moon might be over 100 million years older than prior estimates. A new study proposes that tidal forces caused intense heating and surface remelting around 4.35 billion years ago, resetting the apparent age of lunar rocks. These insights support the idea that massive collisions formed the Moon much earlier than previous...
-
NASA Develops Robotic Technologies for Autonomous Exploration of Ocean Worlds
NASA is advancing robotic exploration technologies through OWLAT and OceanWATERS, systems designed to prepare landers for exploration on ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus. OWLAT, developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), simulates lander operations on low-gravity, icy surfaces, while OceanWATERS provides a virtual environment replicati...
-
Mars' Moons Might Have Been Created From Asteroids Coming Too Close to the Red Planet
A study published in Icarus explores the possibility that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, formed from asteroid debris torn apart by the planet’s gravitational forces. Researchers ran advanced simulations to propose this scenario, which fits the moons’ circular orbits better than previous theories. Japan’s upcoming MMX mission is expected to...
-
New Lunar Map Attempts to Identify the Origin Impact Craters of Rock Samples
A new map of the moon’s Mare Orientale basin highlights areas containing original impact melt. These findings could help date the basin’s formation, which is estimated to be 3.8 billion years old. Scientists believe this research may reveal Earth’s early impact history while guiding future lunar sample-return missions. The map also distinguis...
-
Moon Rocks Brought From the Far Side Confirm Ancient Volcanic Activity
Researchers analysing lunar samples from China’s Chang’e-6 mission have uncovered evidence of ancient volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side. The mission, which returned nearly two kilograms of lunar soil in June, landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the Moon’s oldest craters. Studies published in Science and Nature revealed volc...
-
What Studies On Soil Sample From Moon's Far Side Have Found
Volcanic rock in the sample collected by Chang'e-6, the first mission that brought back soil from the far side of the Moon, is about 2.8 billion years old, suggesting the landing site was volcanically active at the time, according to two new studies.
-
Scientists Confirm Volcanic Eruptions on Moon’s Far Side in New Study
A recent study has confirmed the existence of volcanic eruptions on the Moon’s far side. By analysing lunar soil samples brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission, scientists discovered volcanic rock fragments dating to over 2.8 billion years ago. These findings reveal a long history of volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side, mirroring th...
-
India Targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 Sample Return Mission to Moon
India is planning its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, with a targeted launch in 2028. The mission aims to collect approximately 3 kilograms of lunar samples from the moon's south pole, specifically from areas rich in water ice. Following Chandrayaan-4, ISRO will collaborate with Japan on Chandrayaan-5, furthering India's ambitions in space explo...
-
Bristol's System Could Revolutionise Lunar Exploration with Remote Rover Control
The University of Bristol has developed a teleoperation system enabling remote control of lunar rovers, potentially revolutionising how lunar missions are conducted. The system bypasses signal delays, enabling precise sample collection and assembly tasks. Haptic feedback simulates lunar conditions, giving operators a realistic sense of touch when p...
-
China’s Chang'e-6 Mission Samples Provide New Understanding of the Moon's Far Side: Study
Chinese scientists have made a major breakthrough in lunar exploration by analysing samples from the far side of the Moon, collected during the Chang'e-6 mission. The study, conducted by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other leading institutions, has revealed significant differences in the composition ...
-
Chandrayaan-4 Mission Gets Government Approval, to Bring Back Samples from the Moon
Chandrayaan-4 mission has received approval from the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday. This marks another significant milestone in India's lunar exploration efforts. Unlike previous missions, Chandrayaan-4 will not only aim for a successful landing on the Moon but will also focus on returning to Earth.
-
Chang’e 5 Probe Reveals Volcanic Activity on the Moon Occurred Much Earlier Than Previously Believed
China's Chang'e 5 mission has brought new insight into the Moon's volcanic history, suggesting that the volcanic activity might have taken place much sooner than previously believed. Samples of lunar soil, returned to Earth in 2020, contain glass beads formed by volcanic eruptions just 120 million years ago. This is a significant discovery, as it c...
-
Moon Had Surprisingly Recent Volcanic Activity, Samples Confirm
Volcanoes were erupting on the Moon as recently as 120 million years ago, evidence collected by a Chinese spacecraft suggests. Until the last few years, scientists had thought volcanic activity ended on the Moon around 2 billion years ago.
-
Meteorite Impacts Not Solar Wind Are Key to Moon’s Atmosphere, New Research Shows
A new study led by MIT's Nicole Nie has determined that meteorite impacts are the main source of the moon’s atmosphere, with impact vaporization accounting for 70% of the exosphere. Solar wind contributes the remaining 30%. This research, using Apollo lunar soil samples, offers a significant update on how the moon’s atmosphere is sustained.
-
Space Missions of 2025: Lunar Landings, Asteroid Sampling, and More
Space exploration in 2025 will see remarkable missions from global agencies like NASA, ESA, China, and Japan. Key initiatives include lunar landings through NASA’s CLPS and Japan’s M2/Resilience, which will test new technologies and study lunar resources. China’s Tianwen-2 mission aims to collect asteroid samples and explore a comet, advancin...
-
New Study Suggests the Moon Is 100 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought
Recent findings indicate the Moon might be over 100 million years older than prior estimates. A new study proposes that tidal forces caused intense heating and surface remelting around 4.35 billion years ago, resetting the apparent age of lunar rocks. These insights support the idea that massive collisions formed the Moon much earlier than previous...
-
NASA Develops Robotic Technologies for Autonomous Exploration of Ocean Worlds
NASA is advancing robotic exploration technologies through OWLAT and OceanWATERS, systems designed to prepare landers for exploration on ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus. OWLAT, developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), simulates lander operations on low-gravity, icy surfaces, while OceanWATERS provides a virtual environment replicati...
-
Mars' Moons Might Have Been Created From Asteroids Coming Too Close to the Red Planet
A study published in Icarus explores the possibility that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, formed from asteroid debris torn apart by the planet’s gravitational forces. Researchers ran advanced simulations to propose this scenario, which fits the moons’ circular orbits better than previous theories. Japan’s upcoming MMX mission is expected to...
-
New Lunar Map Attempts to Identify the Origin Impact Craters of Rock Samples
A new map of the moon’s Mare Orientale basin highlights areas containing original impact melt. These findings could help date the basin’s formation, which is estimated to be 3.8 billion years old. Scientists believe this research may reveal Earth’s early impact history while guiding future lunar sample-return missions. The map also distinguis...
-
Moon Rocks Brought From the Far Side Confirm Ancient Volcanic Activity
Researchers analysing lunar samples from China’s Chang’e-6 mission have uncovered evidence of ancient volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side. The mission, which returned nearly two kilograms of lunar soil in June, landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the Moon’s oldest craters. Studies published in Science and Nature revealed volc...
-
What Studies On Soil Sample From Moon's Far Side Have Found
Volcanic rock in the sample collected by Chang'e-6, the first mission that brought back soil from the far side of the Moon, is about 2.8 billion years old, suggesting the landing site was volcanically active at the time, according to two new studies.
-
Scientists Confirm Volcanic Eruptions on Moon’s Far Side in New Study
A recent study has confirmed the existence of volcanic eruptions on the Moon’s far side. By analysing lunar soil samples brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission, scientists discovered volcanic rock fragments dating to over 2.8 billion years ago. These findings reveal a long history of volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side, mirroring th...
-
India Targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 Sample Return Mission to Moon
India is planning its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, with a targeted launch in 2028. The mission aims to collect approximately 3 kilograms of lunar samples from the moon's south pole, specifically from areas rich in water ice. Following Chandrayaan-4, ISRO will collaborate with Japan on Chandrayaan-5, furthering India's ambitions in space explo...
-
Bristol's System Could Revolutionise Lunar Exploration with Remote Rover Control
The University of Bristol has developed a teleoperation system enabling remote control of lunar rovers, potentially revolutionising how lunar missions are conducted. The system bypasses signal delays, enabling precise sample collection and assembly tasks. Haptic feedback simulates lunar conditions, giving operators a realistic sense of touch when p...
-
China’s Chang'e-6 Mission Samples Provide New Understanding of the Moon's Far Side: Study
Chinese scientists have made a major breakthrough in lunar exploration by analysing samples from the far side of the Moon, collected during the Chang'e-6 mission. The study, conducted by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other leading institutions, has revealed significant differences in the composition ...
-
Chandrayaan-4 Mission Gets Government Approval, to Bring Back Samples from the Moon
Chandrayaan-4 mission has received approval from the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday. This marks another significant milestone in India's lunar exploration efforts. Unlike previous missions, Chandrayaan-4 will not only aim for a successful landing on the Moon but will also focus on returning to Earth.
-
Chang’e 5 Probe Reveals Volcanic Activity on the Moon Occurred Much Earlier Than Previously Believed
China's Chang'e 5 mission has brought new insight into the Moon's volcanic history, suggesting that the volcanic activity might have taken place much sooner than previously believed. Samples of lunar soil, returned to Earth in 2020, contain glass beads formed by volcanic eruptions just 120 million years ago. This is a significant discovery, as it c...
-
Moon Had Surprisingly Recent Volcanic Activity, Samples Confirm
Volcanoes were erupting on the Moon as recently as 120 million years ago, evidence collected by a Chinese spacecraft suggests. Until the last few years, scientists had thought volcanic activity ended on the Moon around 2 billion years ago.
-
Meteorite Impacts Not Solar Wind Are Key to Moon’s Atmosphere, New Research Shows
A new study led by MIT's Nicole Nie has determined that meteorite impacts are the main source of the moon’s atmosphere, with impact vaporization accounting for 70% of the exosphere. Solar wind contributes the remaining 30%. This research, using Apollo lunar soil samples, offers a significant update on how the moon’s atmosphere is sustained.
