How China’s Moon mission could reveal origins of life on Earth

China's Chang'e-6 mission to the Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin may unlock secrets about the origin of life on Earth. The mission, which landed on June 25, aims to collect lunar material for analysis, potentially revealing clues about early life. This region, one of the oldest lunar impact craters, could contain ancient fossils and geological samples that predate Earth's oldest known rocks.

The Moon, despite being a lifeless rock today, may hold crucial evidence from the dawn of life on Earth. While the Moon lacks a substantial atmosphere, scientists believe a temporary lunar atmosphere may have existed about 3.5 billion years ago due to volcanic activity. This brief period could have supported simple life forms, or at the very least, preserved remnants of early Earth life.

The Moon's cold storage environment is ideal for preserving such evidence, as it lacks the geological activity and erosion that constantly reshape Earth's surface. The rocks in the South Pole-Aitken Basin are estimated to be around 3.98 billion years old, providing a potential window into a time before life on Earth took hold.