A team of Chinese scientists on Tuesday published the first research paper on lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-6 mission, saying the Chang’e-6 samples showed “distinct characteristics” compared with previously obtained lunar samples.
The study was jointly conducted by members of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, and the Beijing Institute of Space Systems Engineering. The research paper was published in the journal National Science Review on the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.
The team found that the Chang’e-6 soil samples had a lower density than previous samples, indicating a more porous and less structured composition. The plagioclase content of the Chang’e-6 samples is significantly higher than that of the Chang’e-5 samples, while their olivine content is significantly lower.
The study also revealed that the Chang’e-6 lithic fragment samples were mainly composed of basalt, breccia, agglutinate, glasses and leucocrate.
Geochemical analysis of the Chang’e-6 lunar samples showed that their concentration of trace elements such as thorium, uranium and potassium was significantly different from that of the samples recovered by the Apollo missions and the Chang’e-5 mission.
The Chang’e-6 probe was launched from China on May 3, 2024. On June 25, its return module landed in northern China, bringing back 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the Moon.
