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Zhang Tong

China has offered a first glimpse at the soil samples brought back by the Chang’e-6 mission from the far side of the moon.
The Chang’e-6 lunar probe returned to Earth in June after a 53-day mission, during which it collected more than 1.9kg (4.2lbs) of soil through scooping and drilling operations.
Three months after the mission, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) revealed these samples at their Lunar Sample Laboratory in Beijing on Saturday.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the samples are being stored in a nitrogen-filled cabinet alongside those from the Chang’e-5 mission.
The samples from Chang’e-6 appear slightly lighter in colour and greyer compared to those from Chang’e-5.
“This is due to the presence of a significant amount of white material, including more feldspar minerals, and a higher quantity of glass fragments, making them appear lighter overall,” said Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission.
The samples were sealed in special containers under vacuum conditions on the lunar surface. After returning to Earth, it took around two months to unseal, sort, and separate them into smaller portions suitable for experiments, according to the CCTV report.
“We first separate rock fragments larger than 1mm (0.04 inch) because these are likely to have been ejected from other locations. The method of studying these fragments differs from that of the powder samples,” Li said.
The Chang’e-6 samples appear to have more rock fragments compared to the soil collected on the previous mission.
“Our preliminary judgment is that there should be a 50-metre (164-foot) impact crater next to the Chang’e-6 landing site. It is very likely that the ejecta from the impact crater were sampled by Chang’e-6,” Liu Jianjun, a researcher at the NAOC, told CCTV in an interview on Saturday.
According to Li, the samples obtained by drilling present even greater challenges in handling. “They constitute less than 20 per cent of the total sample weight, with a significant part adhering to the sample bags,” he said.
“But we need to divide them into over 100 samples based on drilling depth, at intervals of 1.5cm each. This preprocessing work is expected to take another one to two months.”
The first research paper based on the new lunar soil was published in the journal National Science Review on September 17. It detailed the physical, mineral, and geochemical characteristics of the samples from Chang’e-6. The paper highlighted the new sample’s lower density and more porous structure.

China’s lunar exploration missions continue to make progress. The Yutu-2 lunar rover, which made a historic touchdown on the far side of the moon in 2019 as part of the Chang’e-4 mission, is still operational and sent back its latest images on Tuesday.
Working continuously for nearly six years, it has far exceeded its design life of three months to become the longest-operating rover on the moon, and has travelled more than 1,61o metres.
China aims to launch its Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8 missions in the coming years to explore the lunar south pole and lay the foundation to set up a research station on the moon.
There are also plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2030 and carry out further missions to explore Mars.
“The coming lunar exploration missions including Chang’e-7, Chang’e-8, as well as asteroid exploration missions Tianwen-2 and Tianwen-3, are progressing as planned,” Bian Zhigang, deputy head of the China National Space Administration, said in June.


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Science

China’s Chang’e-6 reveals greyer, rockier soil from far side of the moon

The Chang’e-6 mission soil samples are being stored in a nitrogen-filled cabinet alongside those from the Chang’e-5 mission. Photo: CCTV

The Chang’e-6 mission soil samples are being stored in a nitrogen-filled cabinet alongside those from the Chang’e-5 mission, at the Lunar Sample Laboratory in Beijing. Photo: CCTV

China’s Yutu-2 is still operational since landing in 2019, becoming the longest-operating lunar rover. Photo: Handout

What lies on the moon’s mysterious far side? China’s Chang’e-6 samples give first signs

The return capsule of the Chang’e-6 lunar probe is opened during a ceremony at the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation in Beijing on June 26. Photo: Xinhua

The Chang’e-6 ascender and lander is pictured on June 3. Photo: AFP / China National Space Administration

The Chang’e-6 lunar sample handover ceremony held in Beijing, on June 28. Photo: Xinhua 

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By 2050, the  China-led moon base will be a network of research facilities at the moon’s south pole, equator and far side, according to senior space official Wu Yanhua. Image: China National Space Administration

How China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe and 3 glass beads rewrote the moon’s geological past

Samples brought to Earth by the Chang’e-5 mission are shedding new light on lunar activity. Photo: Xinhua 

The Chang’e-5 probe collects samples on the moon in 2020. Photo: CNSA/Xinhua

News

China

First peek at samples from latest Chinese lunar mission follows news that Chang’e-4 rover Yutu-2 is still roaming moon’s ‘dark side’


First peek at samples from latest Chinese lunar mission follows news that Chang’e-4 rover Yutu-2 is still roaming moon’s ‘dark side’.


China's space programme

Space

Chang’e-6

Aerospace: Science