Scientists open untouched Apollo 17 lunar samples from 1972 — they may hold clues about the moon's violent origins
October 14, 2025
Scientists have found that a sample of the moon brought to Earth in 1972 by Apollo 17 astronauts contains a ratio of sulfur isotopes very different to what we see on Earth. It’s a discovery that could either tell us about the giant impact that formed the moon, or about the moon’s earliest history.
When the six Apollo missions that landed on the moon returned home, some samples of lunar…