Dry Moon Rising: Chang’e-6 Uncovers a Hidden Water Divide in Lunar Mantle

Our Moon is the debris from an ancient collision, China's Chang'e 6 reveals

The Chang’e-6 mission returned soil samples from the South Pole–Aitken impact basin of the lunar farside, providing an opportunity to study the water contents of the farside mantle.

Back in January, we reported that the first rock samples from the far side of the Moon surprised scientists. And their exploration continues. The latest discovery from rock samples brought to Earth by China's Chang'e 6 lunar mission last year revealed that the Moon's mantle contains less water on the far side than on the side facing us.

China's Chang'e 6 lunar samples suggest our moon is debris from an ancient Earth impact

Analysis of samples brought back from the farside of the Moon by the Chang'e 6 mission have found the water content of the lunar farside mantle is much more depleted compared to the nearside.

On June 25, 2024, China achieved a space milestone by bringing to Earth the first samples collected on the hidden face of the Moon. The robotic probe of the mission...

Dry Moon Rising: Chang’e-6 Uncovers a Hidden Water Divide in Lunar Mantle

Chinese scientists analyzing samples from the Moon’s farside have uncovered that its mantle holds significantly less water than the nearside—a finding that hints at a deep, internal divide within our celestial neighbor. This discovery, based on basalt samples returned by China’s Chang’e-6 mission, offers new insight into the Moon’s mysterious formation and evolution. It could [...]

Drier far side of the Moon deepens understanding of lunar evolution

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 14, 2025 The Chang'e 6 mission has unveiled that the Moon's far side mantle holds significantly less water than its near side, offering crucial insight into the Moon's geological history. Analysis of rock samples from the mission indicates water content in the far side's mantle is as low as 1 to 1.5 micrograms per gram-less than 2 parts per million-marking the driest values ever recorded in lunar geology