China's Chang'e-6 Moon Rocks Show Gradual Decline in Asteroid Impacts

China's Chang'e-6 mission returned the first lunar samples from the Moon's far side, delivering about 1,935 g of material on 25 June 2024. Scientific analysis published in *Science Advances* used isotopic dating of the rocks to map impact events from roughly 4.33 billion to 1.13 billion years ago. The results reveal a steady decrease in asteroid collisions over more than three billion years, rather than a brief, intense spike known as the Late Heavy Bombardment.

The new evidence places the formation of the Apollo basin at about 4.16 billion years ago, earlier than previously thought, and suggests that earlier interpretations were biased by near‑side Apollo and Luna samples. By preserving a clearer record, the far‑side material helps scientists reconstruct the early violent history of the Earth–Moon system and refine models of solar‑system evolution.