The Moon's Oldest Basin Formed around 4.25 Billion Years Ago: Chinese Scientists
Chinese scientists have determined the formation time of the oldest basin on the Moon by examining the lunar soil samples collected by Chang'e-6 on the Moon's far side. Chang'e 6 was the sixth robotic lunar exploration mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the second CNSA lunar sample-return mission. Like its predecessors in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), the spacecraft is named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e. It was the first lunar mission to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon; all previous samples were collected from the near side.
On June 25, 2024, China's Chang'e 6 lunar probe brought nearly 2 kilograms of lunar samples to the Earth for the first time in human history.
These samples were collected from the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA Basin), the largest, deepest and oldest basin on the moon.
By studying the samples, the Chinese scientists have determined that the SPA Basin was formed around 4.25 billion years ago, offering insights into the early evolution of the Moon and the solar system.
This finding confirms that about 320 million years after the formation of the solar system, a colossal impact event led to the creation of the SPA Basin, the largest impact remnant on the moon.
The research findings by Chinese scientists based on lunar soil samples brought back by Chang'e 6 mission have been featured in international news and academic journals since the probe's return.
Duration: 52 seconds
Release Date: March 21, 2025
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