Lunar samples to be lent for research purposes

China's space agency has released the approved list for the ninth batch of lunar sample research applications, allowing successful applicants to borrow samples returned by the Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions.

A total of 30,881.8 milligrams of lunar samples will be lent to 32 research groups from 25 research institutions, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center under the China National Space Administration.

The successful applicants include the Macao University of Science and Technology, the Chengdu University of Technology, Donghua University, the Harbin Institute of Technology, the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

This list also features institutions affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences.

China's Chang'e 6 mission collected 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the moon, marking the first time in human history that samples were taken from that region, and the Chang'e 5 mission retrieved about 1,731 grams of lunar samples.

In July 2021, China delivered the first batch of lunar samples to research institutions. So far, the country has lent eight batches of lunar samples to institutions for research purposes.

Last month, China unveiled a series of research findings by Chinese scientists following studies of the samples collected by the Chang'e 6 mission.

The findings were in fields such as volcanic activity, the ancient magnetic field, water content and geochemical characteristics of the moon's mantle.

Xinhua