China's Chang'e-6 mission found rare water-rich meteorite fragments on the Moon's far side, suggesting ancient outer Solar System material delivery.

China's Chang'e-6 mission, which returned 1,935.3 grams of lunar soil from the Moon’s far side in 2024, has revealed microscopic fragments of rare CI-like chondrites—water-rich meteorites typically destroyed upon entering Earth’s atmosphere. Found in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, these fragments, identified through mineral and isotope analysis, suggest the Moon preserved ancient impacts from carbonaceous chondrites, indicating significant material transfer from the outer Solar System. The discovery, published in PNAS, highlights the Moon’s role as a natural archive and supports theories that such meteorites delivered water and organics to early Earth and the Moon, influencing planetary habitability.