The Moon was once covered by an ocean of molten rock, data from India’s space mission suggests

The similarity in composition of new and old lunar samples suggests a magma ocean covered the Moon early in its history. Nasa/Goddard Space Flight Center

Data from India’s recent Chandrayaan-3 mission supports the idea that an ocean of molten rock once covered the Moon. Scientists from the mission have published their new findings in the journal Nature.

On August 23 2023, a lander called Vikram successfully touched down on the lunar surface. Controllers then deployed a rover called Pragyan, which had been stowed on Vikram, to explore the landing site.