Chinese scientists have published the first research article studying lunar farside samples collected by the Chang’e-6 spacecraft. The paper, titled “Nature of the lunar farside samples returned by the Chang’E-6 mission,” was released on Monday in the open-access journal National Science Review, according to the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The research unveils the physical, mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical properties of these samples. The team found that the Chang’e-6 soil samples have a lower density compared to previous samples, indicating a more porous and loosely structured composition. Moreover, the plagioclase content is significantly higher, while the olivine content is notably lower than that of the Chang’e-5 samples.
The study also revealed that the lithic fragment samples from Chang’e-6 are primarily composed of basalt, breccia, agglutinates, glasses, and leucocrate. Geochemical analysis showed that the concentration of trace elements such as thorium, uranium, and potassium is markedly different from the samples retrieved by the Apollo missions and the Chang’e-5 mission.
Analyzing these samples will contribute to the understanding of key aspects of lunar science, including the moon’s early evolution, the variability of volcanic activities between the nearside and farside, and the impact history of the inner solar system, according to the researchers.
The research was conducted by a collaboration of leading Chinese space science experts, including Li Chunlai from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hu Hao, the chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, and Yang Mengfei from the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering.
Launched on May 3 and returning on June 25 this year, China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe brought back 1,935.3 grams of samples, marking the first time in human history that samples have been collected from the far side of the moon.
