In rock samples that the Chinese space probe “Chang’e 5” brought from the moon to Earth in mid-December 2020, scientists have now discovered a previously unknown mineral. The phosphate, called Changesite-(Y), is only the sixth mineral discovered by mankind on Earth’s satellite, China’s state news agency Xinhua reports.
Named after the Chinese goddess of the moon, the four-module lunar probe “Chang’e 5” landed on the moon on December 1, 2020. Using her landing module, she then collected about two kilograms of dust and rock samples before returning to Earth. .
On December 16, 2020, the space capsule landed in the Northern China steppe (pictured below).
First new moonstone in 44 years
It was the first time in 44 years that moon rock had been returned to Earth. Something that only the Soviet Union and the US had previously been able to do. The “Apollo” missions of the American space agency NASA returned about 380 kilograms of moon rock, the Russians collected about 300 grams with unmanned missions.
The moon rock analyzed by Chinese researchers comes from a region about a billion years younger than the areas explored by the Americans and Russians. A single particle, a 10-micrometer piece of changesite (Y) mineral, was found in the rock sample among a total of 140,000 particles, Xinhua reports.
Beijing aims for an ambitious space program
China is following an ambitious space program with missions to the moon and Mars and the construction of its own space station. In January 2019, the country became the first space-faring country to land on the relatively unexplored far side of the Moon with “Chang’e 4”.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
