The Moon`s mantle may have undergone remelting. Chinese scientists reached this conclusion after analyzing samples brought back from Earth`s natural satellite during the Chang`e-6 mission, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
After studying regolith samples delivered from the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon, scientists concluded that they contain material atypical for a normal mantle.
“This suggests that the rocks that formed the ancient lunar mantle initially contained few of these atoms, or that they were remelted after the impact of the asteroid that created the Moon`s largest crater,” the academy stated.
According to the scientists` estimation, the asteroid impact that caused the remelting of the lunar mantle could have occurred 4.2-4.3 billion years ago. However, specialists do not rule out that the unusual material could have been present in the lunar mantle from the beginning.
In September 2024, planetary scientist Clive Neal of the University of Notre Dame (USA) told SpaceNews that China`s plans for lunar exploration should be a wake-up call for NASA.
