Apollo 11 was the first mission to return rock and soil samples from the Moon to Earth.
During the July 1969 lunar landing, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin collected about 21.5 kilograms of lunar material. Their samples included rocks, dust, and soil gathered around the Sea of Tranquility landing site.
The material was sealed and transported back aboard the command module Columbia. Scientists found that lunar rocks were ancient and formed in conditions unlike those on Earth, providing direct evidence about the Moon’s geological history and its relationship with Earth.
The Soviet Luna 16 mission later became the first robotic mission to return lunar samples. Apollo 12 and later Apollo missions brought back additional material from different lunar locations, allowing researchers to compare the Moon’s varied terrains.