Chinese scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting water molecules in soil samples collected during the Chang'e-5 mission on the moon. Published in Nature Astronomy, the findings shed new light on the moon's composition and have significant implications for future lunar exploration. The research, a collaboration between esteemed institutions, identified a hydrated mineral rich in molecular water. This discovery builds upon previous findings by India's Chandrayaan-1 and NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. While the origin and chemical form of lunar hydrogen remain undetermined, this breakthrough paves the way for further exploration and resource utilization on the moon.
In a groundbreaking discovery, Chinese scientists have detected water molecules in soil samples collected from the moon during the Chang'e-5 mission. The findings, published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Nature Astronomy on July 16, shed new light on the moon's composition and hold significant implications for future lunar exploration endeavors.
The research, conducted in collaboration between the Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, the Institute of Physics of CAS, and other esteemed domestic institutions, analyzed the lunar soil samples returned by the Chang'e-5 mission in 2020. The scientists successfully identified a hydrated mineral rich in molecular water, marking a remarkable milestone in lunar research.
This revelation builds upon previous discoveries made by India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in 2009, which detected signs of hydrated minerals comprising oxygen and hydrogen molecules in sunlit regions of the moon. Additionally, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, in 2020, confirmed the existence of water molecules on the sunlit surface of the moon, specifically within the Clavius crater located in the southern hemisphere.
However, until now, the absence of lunar samples from high latitude and polar regions has left the origin and chemical form of lunar hydrogen largely undetermined, as highlighted in the Nature article.
To ascertain the presence of water molecules with utmost precision, the Chinese researchers meticulously isolated over 1,000 mineral clasts from the lunar soil samples. Among these samples, they discovered a remarkable platelike transparent crystal, designated as "unknown lunar mineral" (ULM-1), which contained water molecules, as reported in the study.
The research team took great care to rule out the possibility of contamination from terrestrial sources or rocket exhaust, ensuring the authenticity of their findings. However, a geochemist not directly involved in the study emphasized the importance of further evidence to substantiate these initial conclusions.
The Chang'e-5 mission, China's maiden lunar sample-return endeavor, provided the first direct evidence of water on the moon's surface in 2020. With the recent successful completion of the Chang'e-6 mission, which retrieved up to 2kg of material from the moon's oldest basin on its far side, the anticipation for more groundbreaking discoveries is at an all-time high.
As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of the moon, these findings open up new possibilities for future lunar missions and highlight the potential for sustainable resource utilization on our celestial neighbor. The discovery of water molecules in lunar soil represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the moon's history and paves the way for further exploration of its vast scientific and economic potential.
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