China's Chang'e-6 lunar mission successfully achieved the historic feat of collecting samples from the far side of the moon, bringing back 1,935.3 grams of valuable material. This marks the first time in human history that research samples have been obtained from the moon's far side.

The samples were sealed in specially designed, airtight storage containers for transport back to Earth. Now, nearly three months later, these precious extraterrestrial materials have been unsealed.

A reporter from China Media Group (CMG) recently gained exclusive access to the Lunar Sample Laboratory at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

At the lab, the samples have been divided into 10 glass wares, each of which is about 150 grams. Compared with the Chang'e-5 lunar samples, the color of the Chang'e-6 samples appeared to be slightly lighter due to the different mineral composition.

Chinese researchers have discovered key differences between lunar samples collected by the Chang'e-6 mission and those by the Chang'e-5, according to the first research paper on the Chang'e-6 samples published on Tuesday.

The research team found that the Chang'e-6 soil samples have a lower density than previous samples, indicating a more porous and loosely structured composition. The plagioclase content of the Chang'e-6 samples is significantly higher than that of the Chang'e-5 samples, while their olivine content is significantly lower.

The research paper was published in the National Science Review journal.