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Recap | Musk casts shadow on China’s space ambitions, US moon sample swap stalls, Mars ocean found and more

US-China space rivalry, stalled moon sample swap talks, Shenzhou’s pioneering female space flight engineer and more latest China space news

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Negotiations have come to a standstill over an planned exchange of lunar samples from China’s Chang’e-5, pictured on its return to Earth last December, and samples collected by America’s Apollo missions. Photo: Xinhua via AP
1. Elon Musk influence in Trump White House poses ‘huge test’ to China’s space ambitions
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The billionaire SpaceX owner’s presence in the new administration could accelerate the US space programme, intensifying the US-China space rivalry. Observers advise sticking to domestic milestones, avoiding a space race with the US.

2. Hopes fade for moon sample swap between China and US as Nasa silent on sharing their samples

Negotiations between China and the US for a moon sample exchange stall as the US space agency remains unresponsive to China’s offer, highlighting ongoing space collaboration challenges between the two nations.

3. Xi Jinping gifts moon dust collected by the Chang’e-5 probe to Italy’s President Mattarella
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The Chinese president presented lunar samples to the Italian leader during Mattarella’s six-day visit to China. The gift coincides with the return of a collection of Chinese cultural relics from Italy as part of an agreement to prevent the illegal sale of historic items.

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