Lunar samples brought by Chinese mission studied

Samples dated to later volcanic lava

Remnants of solidified lava brought back by a Chinese lunar mission were 1 billion years younger than material acquired by other missions decades ago, according to an article in Science, suggesting the moon cooled down later than thought.

Samples brought back by U.S. and Soviet missions were more than 2.9 billion years old. The samples acquired on China’s Chang'e-5 mission late last year were around 1.96 billion years old suggesting volcanic activity persisted longer than believed.

Last December, the uncrewed Chinese probe touched down on a previously unvisited part of a massive lava plain, the Oceanus Procellarum or “Oceans of Storms,” bringing back lunar samples.