Chinese scientists research on the lunar soil sample retrieved by Chang'e-5. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By Staff Reporters

The production of Chang'e-6, part of the Phase Four tasks of the China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), has been basically completed, according to Liu Jizhong, director of China Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center on September 10.

As the backup for Chang'e-5, Chang'e-6 is also capable of sample retrieval and will perform tasks on the far side of the moon. In addition to Chang'e-6, China will also launch Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 in the next decade.

On September 9, the China National Space Administration and the China Atomic Energy Authority jointly announced that a new lunar mineral was discovered by Chinese scientists, through research on the lunar soil sample retrieved by Chang'e-5.

The new mineral is a columnar crystal, which exists in the basalt granules of lunar soil. Named Changesite-(Y), it is the sixth new mineral on the moon discovered by humankind, and China became the third country to achieve such a discovery.

Also based on the lunar soil sample brought back by Chang'e-5, researchers from Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences recently found abundant water (mainly in the form of OH), caused by solar winds, in the lunar soil sample.

The estimated concentration of solar wind generated water in the sample is at least 170 parts per million (ppm), which is apparently higher than that of water within the moon. The result proves that minerals on the lunar surface are important water repositories, offering references for the water distribution in the middle latitudes of the moon.

As the site and age of the Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples are different from those samples brought back by U.S. Apollo Project, the former could provide a new perspective toward research on the content and distribution of water on the lunar surface.

Chang'e-7 is in the developing stage, and there will be an exploration to the south pole of the moon, said Liu, adding that a base model of the International Lunar Research Center will also be built.