India, May 9 -- In a milestone for international space collaboration, UK scientist Prof Mahesh Anand has received a tiny but priceless sample of lunar dust from China's Chang'e 5 mission, marking the first time the country has shared its Moon material with foreign researchers.

The dust, collected in 2020 from a volcanic region on the Moon called Mons Rumker, was brought back to Earth by China's robotic Chang'e 5 lander and returned to Inner Mongolia in a space capsule. It was the world's first successful lunar sample return since the Soviet Luna mission in 1976 and placed China at the forefront of the modern space race, reported the BBC.

Now, China has made a symbolic move towards greater scientific cooperation, granting seven internati...