Beijing, China - Recent A new study of the lunar samples collected from the far side of the moon by China's Chang'e-6 mission has verified the hypothesis that the moon was entirely covered by a molten "magma ocean" in the early stages after its birth, providing critical evidence for understanding the moon's origin and evolution. This study, led by a joint research team organized by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), has been published in the latest issue of the journal Science. The Chang'e-6 mission in 2024 accomplished humanity's first-ever sampling from the far side of the moon, successfully retrieving 1,935.3 grams of lunar materials from the Apollo Basin within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin. The research team from the Institute of Geology, the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences was granted two grams of these Chang'e-6 samples to conduct their research. The study revealed that the composition of basalt, a type of volcanic rock, from both the far and near sides of the moon proved similar. The basalt present in the Chang'e-6 samples is primarily 2.823 billion years old, and its characteristics support the lunar magma ocean model. The research also suggests that the impact event that created the SPA Basin may have altered the moon's early mantle, according to Liu Dunyi, a senior researcher at the institute. The lunar magma ocean model was previously established based on samples from the moon's near side. The model proposes that the newborn moon went through a global melting event, creating a vast magma ocean. As this ocean cooled and crystallized, less dense minerals floated to the surface to form the lunar crust, while denser minerals sank to form the mantle. The remaining melt, enriched with incompatible elements, formed the KREEP layer, with the name derived from the initials of the key components, namely potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE) and phosphorus (P), Liu explained. The analysis showed that the KREEP layer exists on the moon's far side as well. The similarity in basalt composition of lunar samples taken from both the far and near sides of the moon indicates that a global magma ocean may have spanned the entire moon, said Che Xiaochao, an associate researcher at the Research Center for Planetary Science under the institute. Che stressed that the Chang'e-6 mission for the first time brought back samples from the far side of the moon. Through the research of these samples, scientists have obtained the latest evidence to verify the existence of the global magma ocean in its early stages, providing assistance for human research into the evolutionary history of the moon. The CNSA has emphasized its commitment to advancing lunar research and sharing scientific findings with the rest of the international community. Shotlist: Beijing, China - Recent: 1. Various of researcher at lab; 2. Various of graphs showing research achievements; 3. Animation of magmatic exhalation; 4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Che Xiaochao, associate researcher, Research Center for Planetary Science,Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (starting with shot 3/partially overlaid with shot 5/ending with shot 6): "After conducting research, we discovered that the basalt inside these Chang'e-6 samples bears certain similarities in mineral composition and elemental content with samples from the moon's near side. This can lead to the deduction that in the early stages after its birth, the moon likely had a global magma ocean."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 5. Graph showing research achievements; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 6. Various of animation of Moon covered by molten "magma ocean"; 7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Che Xiaochao, associate researcher, Research Center for Planetary Science, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (starting with shot 6/ending with shot 8): "Scientists have developed a theory called the lunar magma ocean theory, which suggests that the moon went through a global melting event, creating a vast magma ocean in the early stages after its birth. This theory allows us to envision the newborn moon as a large molten sphere."; 8. Various of animation of evolution history of moon; 9. Various of surveillance camera footages showing lunar exploration; 10. Various of researcher analyzing data; 11. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Che Xiaochao, associate researcher, Research Center for Planetary Science, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (starting with shot 10/partially overlaid with shot 12/ending with shot 13): "Many conjectures can be confirmed through the research, for instance, the lunar mantle property. The Chang'e-6's landing area lies in the SPA Basin, which reaches a depth of nearly 10 kilometers. It likely these Chang'e-6 samples contain direct evidence on the lunar mantle. Secondly, scientists have found out that the age of the SPA Basin is likely over 4.2 billion years old. This gives us an opportunity to explore the early dynamics of the solar system through research of the Chang'e-6 samples, focusing on early lunar impact events and studying the materials deep inside the lunar mantle."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 12. Various of animation of lander-ascender combination landing at designated landing area in South Pole-Aitken Basin, surface of moon; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 13. Various of researcher analyzing data. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]