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China’s team of scientists has released the first research findings on lunar soil brought back by the Chang’e 6 mission, offering new information about the moon’s far side.
The paper, published on September 17 in the National Science Review, details the unique characteristics of the 1.935 kilograms of lunar samples returned by the mission in June 2024. The research highlights differences between soil from the far side and previously studied samples from the near side.
The Chang’e 6 mission launched from Hainan Island on May 3, 2024, and returned to Earth on June 25, landing in northern China. The samples were collected from the side of the moon that faces away from Earth. Teams from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering have analyzed the material since its return.
The research shows that the far side soil is more porous and less dense than near side samples. It contains higher levels of plagioclase and lower amounts of olivine compared to the Chang’e 5 samples. Lithic fragments in the samples include basalt, breccia, agglutinate, glasses, and leucocrate.
The concentration of trace elements such as thorium, uranium, and potassium also differs from earlier lunar samples collected by the Apollo missions and Chang’e 5.
Scientists note that these findings could support future lunar missions, including crewed landings planned by China by 2030. Understanding the soil’s composition can guide the design of spacesuits and equipment for astronauts, making missions safer and more efficient. The study offers the first detailed look at material from the moon’s far side, a region previously unexplored through direct sample collection.
Source: A journal on Chinese and global scientific achievement
