Cliff Notes – First moon rocks on Earth in half a century arrive in UK
- The first moon samples returned to Earth in over 50 years, following China’s Chang’e 5 mission in 2020, are now under study in Milton Keynes, UK.
- Professor Mahesh Anand, one of seven international scientists selected for the research, emphasizes the unique geological insights these samples provide compared to previous findings.
- The investigation aims to enhance understanding of the moon’s origins and essential elements for life, supporting future human habitation plans on the lunar surface.
First moon rocks on Earth in half a century arrive in UK
The first samples of moon dust brought back to Earth for more than 50 years are in the UK – being studied by scientists in Milton Keynes.
“It really humbles me to think that I am one of the seven billion plus people on this planet who has a chance to work with these precious samples,” said Professor Mahesh Anand.
The professor of planetary science and exploration at The Open University is just one of seven international scientists chosen by China to study the samples, and travelled to Beijing to pick them up.
They are the first moon rocks brought to Earth since the last Soviet Luna mission of 1976.
Knowing how rare the samples are, Prof Anand was reluctant to let them out of his sight on his journey back from China – so he carried them in his hand luggage.
“I couldn’t risk losing them,” he told Sky News, speaking from a train to Manchester where he was still carrying the samples to show graduating students.
“Today, when I’m carrying one of these samples with me, they are actually in triple-sealed containers. Of course, these are not coming into contact with any terrestrial atmosphere.”
Prof Anand has spent his career studying moon samples brought back to Earth by the Apollo missions.
Those samples were collected from the six moon landing sites where astronauts walked.