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International researchers selected to study China’s Chang’e Moon samples, including US ones but without NASA funding
And more such interesting lunar updates from China’s National Space Day on April 24.
China announced selecting proposals from seven international universities to study unique Moon samples brought to Earth by CNSA’s Chang’e 5 mission in 2020. So far Chinese researchers have had first, exclusive access to the samples — a standard followed by most organizations worldwide for their missions or telescopes. The researchers have already produced several notable science results. To briefly summarize a review paper to that end:
Chang’e 5 samples have helped scientists determine truer ages of lunar features, refine the nature of impacts over the last two billion years in the inner Solar System, and shed light on young lunar volcanism while also finding 120-million-year young volcanic beads — which collectively opened up more enigmas about the Moon’s interior and its evolution.
It was in late 2023 that China opened up sample research applications to foreign scientists. The process has taken longer than expected but the international researchers whose proposals have been finally selected are from universities in the UK, Japan, France, Germany, Pakistan…
