Moon Dust: A Rare Treasure from Space

For the first time in nearly 50 years, samples of Moon rock have arrived in the UK, on loan from China. These tiny grains of dust, collected during China's Chang'e 5 space mission in 2020, are now securely stored in Milton Keynes.

Professor Mahesh Anand, the only UK scientist granted access to these rare samples, describes them as "more precious than gold dust". The team plans to analyze the dust using advanced techniques, including grinding and laser technology.

Their research aims to answer fundamental questions about the Moon's formation and Earth's early history. One theory suggests that the Moon formed from debris when Earth collided with a Mars-sized planet 4.5 billion years ago. The study of these samples could provide evidence to support or challenge this theory.