China announced the discovery of a new mineral on the moon’s surface, called Changesite- (Y), the sixth mineral found by mankind on Earth’s natural moon.
Thus China became the third country to identify an unknown mineral on the Moon, after the United States and Russia.
Vice President of the China Atomic Energy Commission, Dong Baotong, revealed at a press conference the name of the mineral contained in particles of lunar basalt, according to the official newspaper “Global Times”.
A new mineral, Changesite- (Y), has been discovered from lunar samples recovered by #ChinaChinese authorities said Friday that the Chang’e-5 probe makes China the third country to discover a new mineral on the moon’s surface. pic.twitter.com/XjatWOtraY
– Global Times (globaltimesnews) September 9, 2022
The discovery, which was obtained from samples collected by the Chang’e 5 mission from the surface of the Moon in 2020, was confirmed by the Committee on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Society of Minerals.
Several institutions in the Asian country participated in the study of the samples, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the ministries of education and natural resources.
Scientists have confirmed that the materials collected by the Chinese lunar mission and the research conducted are of great importance for understanding the origin and development of the moon, as well as the possibilities of effectively using its resources.
Last June, it was announced the discovery of high-pressure minerals in samples collected on the surface of the moon by the same probe, such as fragments of sievertite and stechovite, which are minerals formed from silicon dioxide exposed to high temperatures and pressures.
The Chang’e program (named after a goddess who lives on the moon according to Chinese legend) began with the launch of the first probe in 2007.
In recent years, Beijing has invested billions of dollars in its space program and made important achievements such as the successful landing of a probe on the far side of the moon in January 2019, a feat that no country has achieved before.
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