China: The Chang'e-6 mission uncovered the consequences of an ancient asteroid impact that changed the internal structure of the Moon

The scientific community has received new data that can radically change the understanding of the formation of the Moon and the evolution of its interior. China's Chang'e-6 interplanetary mission, which delivered samples from the back of the Earth's satellite, has provided evidence of a catastrophic event that occurred more than 4 billion years ago. The results of the analysis of rock-bearing material indicate that the impact of an asteroid, which resulted in the formation of the largest crater in the Solar System, could lead to significant changes in the composition of the lunar mantle.

The collected materials were analyzed by a group of Chinese geophysicists specializing in deep geology and isotope mineralogy. Studies have confirmed that a colossal collision with an asteroid with a diameter of several tens of kilometers caused the formation of an impact structure with a diameter of about 2500 kilometers. This South Pole — Aitken impact basin remains the largest known impact formation on the surface of planetary bodies in the Solar System.

However, the scientific value of the mission lies not only in the scale of the crater. Analysis of the delivered rocks showed that the ancient impact of the lunar mantle, located at a depth of hundreds of kilometers, was depleted of a number of key chemical elements. Such changes, according to experts, could not be the result of ordinary volcanic processes or internal differentiation. This is a deep geological transformation caused by the impact of an external object on a cosmic scale.

The data obtained during the mission allowed researchers to reconstruct the early stages of the Moon's geological history. We are talking about the period when the Solar system was in the phase of intense bombardment, and collisions of this scale could have a decisive impact on the formation of the crusts and mantles of planetary bodies. A detailed study of the isotopic composition and microstructure of minerals from the impact zone allowed us to put forward a new hypothesis: the collision not only changed the chemical composition of the mantle, but also could have caused a redistribution of heat fluxes inside the Moon, affecting its further thermal and tectonic development.

It is worth noting that the scientific results published in the open access journal Nature aroused interest around the world. However, the situation with access to them in the United States may be difficult: the country has taken measures to reduce the cost of scientific subscriptions, including canceling state subscriptions to leading scientific publications, including Nature and Springer Nature journals. This decision has caused concern in academic circles, as American researchers may be effectively excluded from the discussion around one of the largest discoveries in planetary science in recent years.

The Chang'e-6 mission demonstrates China's growing ambitions in space exploration and planetary science. In addition to the technical success of delivering lunar samples, the project is becoming an example of how the international scientific agenda is shifting towards new research centers. The successful implementation of this mission strengthens China's position as one of the leaders in space geology and basic solar system research.