Chinese researchers find a previously unknown mineral in a rock sample from the moon. China still has big plans on the moon.
Beijing – December 2020 a Chinese space mission brought rock samples from the moon to earth. They were the first rock samples since the 1970s – and apparently researchers in China discovered something previously unknown in it: the material “Changesity-(Y)”, which the researchers named Chang’e after the Chinese goddess of the moon. It is a phosphate mineral in a columnar crystal found in lunar basalt particles studied in China, according to Chinese sources.
The newly discovered moon-Mineral reportedly contains helium-3 – an isotope that is very rare on Earth but could potentially be used in fusion reactors to generate energy.
China finds previously unknown material on the moon
The Chinese moon mission brought a total of 1.73 kilograms of moon rock to Earth in 2020. The Chinese space program has placed a focus on the moon: the rover “Yutu-2” is currently exploring the far side of the moon, and the next lunar mission “Chang’e 6” is intended to bring samples from the far side of the moon to earth for the first time. In total, China plans to send three robotic missions to the moon in the next ten years.
Also in the United States there has been a renewed interest in the moon for some time: recently, the new NASA– Launch the Space Launch System rocket, which is intended to take astronauts to the moon again in the future. But the rocket launch was postponed. NASA plans to put people back on the moon by 2025In addition, the earth satellite is to be used as a “springboard” to the future Mars to serve.
China has in the past few years in things space travel massively upgraded: the country is currently building a space station and plans numerous other missions as well a research station on the moon together with Russia. (tab)
#China #finds #previously #unknown #material