Over the new year weekend, two robotic probes went into orbit around the moon in order to send information back to earth which should help scientists establish what the moon is made of.

John Zarnecki, professor of Space Science at the Open University, says there is "no doubt" that rare earth elements do exist on the moon but "we have a long time to wait" before they will become "economically viable".

However, he adds that NASA does not describe the purpose of the mission as being commercially motivated.

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