A Chinese study has revealed that the lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-6 mission have unique characteristics, compared with previously obtained lunar samples.
Scientists found that the soil samples collected by the Chang’e-6 mission had a lower density than previous samples, indicating that they were more porous and loose in structure. The plagioclase mineral in the Chang’e-6 samples was much higher than that in the Chang’e-5 samples, while the olivine mineral was much lower.
The study also revealed that the Chang’e-6 mission’s stone fragment samples are primarily composed of basalt, breccia, glass fragments and white rocks.
Geochemical analysis of Chang’e-6 samples showed that the concentration of trace elements such as thorium, uranium, and potassium differed markedly from samples collected by the Apollo and Chang’e-5 missions.
The study, published in the journal National Science Review, was 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 Spacecraft System Engineering.
It is worth noting that the Chang’e-6 mission, which includes an orbiter, a lander, an ascent vehicle and a return vehicle, was launched on May 3, aboard a Long March-5 Y8 rocket, from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Center in Hainan Province, south China.