A group of Chinese researchers revealed that the volatile loss from the lunar mantle was caused by the giant impact that formed the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the moon's far side.

This provides crucial evidence for understanding the impact of large-scale collisions on lunar evolution and explains the different nature of the moon's near and far sides.

Since the moon's formation, asteroid impacts have been the dominant geological process triggered by events outside the moon, producing impact craters and basins across the lunar surface and profoundly modifying its topography and geochemical characteristics.