China’s Exploration Mission Finds Water Sources on the Moon, Like What? page all

KOMPAS.com – China’s first lunar exploration mission has found a water source on the moon. This will be the fifth lunar mission of China’s Lunar Exploration Program and the first lunar sample return mission in China.

Chang’e 5 Ascender launched on November 23, 2020, then lifted off from the moon on December 3 and Orbiter/Returner returned samples to Earth on December 16, 2020.

The mission launched by China successfully landed on the moon on December 1, 2020, in Procellarum Oceanus North near the large volcanic complex Mons Rümker.

Oceanus Procellarum or Stormy Ocean, is a dark basaltic plain formed by volcanic activity, triggered by the impact of an ancient asteroid on the far side of the moon. It is called an ocean because of its vast size that stretches over 1,600 miles.

At its landing site, the Chang’e 5 collected over 60 oz. the moon sampled from the core about 3 feet long, which scientists then studied.

Read also: China Releases The World’s Most Detailed Geological Map Of The Moon So Far

Samples from Moon’s Oceanus Procellarum are expected to help shed light on at least one scientific storm, the lunar water source.

Chinese lunar lander Chang’e 5 send definitive confirmation real-time first on-site water signal in basalt rock and soil, via onboard spectral analysis in 2020.

This finding was validated through laboratory analysis of samples returned in 2021. Now, the Chang’e-5 team has determined where the water came from.

The researchers published their findings on June 14, 2022 in the journal Nature Communications.

“For the first time in the world, the results of laboratory analysis of lunar return samples and spectral data from lunar surface surveys were used together to examine the presence, shape, and amount of water in lunar samples,” said co-correspondent author LI Chunlai of National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) as quoted from SciTechDaily, Wednesday (15/6/2022).

The results accurately review the characteristics of the distribution and water sources in the Chang’e 5 landing zone, as well as provide a basic truth for interpretation and estimation of water signals in remote sensing survey data.

However, no lunar rivers or springs were observed, but 30 parts of hydroxyl per million in rocks and soil on the lunar surface. The molecule, made of one oxygen and one hydrogen atom, is the main ingredient of water, and the most common product of water molecules reacting chemically with other materials.

To note, samples were collected during the hottest part of the lunar day, at temperatures close to 200°F (93°C), when the surface is driest. The timing also coincides with low solar winds, which can contribute to hydration at moderately high power. Even with such a dehydrated condition, hydration signals still appear.

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So, where did it come from?

First detected by a mineralogy spectrometer in 11 rock and soil samples, which was further confirmed by five laboratory analyzes on eight samples, the hydroxyl was found to come from two different sources.

A small part appears in the glassy material created by the solar wind that perturbs the lunar surface, as was the case with Apollo 11 samples collected in 1971 and tested in the early 2000s.

However, the Chang’e 5 sample contains only about a third of the amount of hydroxyl-containing glass produced by the solar wind as the Apollo sample. This indicates that the solar wind still contributes to the hydroxyl content observed at the Chang’e 5 landing site although it is weak.

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Most of the hydroxyl in the sample is contained in apatite, a crystalline phosphate-rich mineral that is naturally found on the moon, including on Earth.

“This excess hydroxyl is genuine, indicating the presence of internal water of lunar origin in the lunar sample Chang’e 5, and that water played an important role in the formation and crystallization of late lunar basaltic magma,” said LI, referring to the composition of the Chang’E-landing site. 5 in the basalt of the mare Oceanus Procellarum.

Further, by investigating lunar water and its sources, it is hoped that it will provide support for future lunar resources.

The researchers are planning further lunar exploration with the successors of Chang’e 5, namely Chang’e 6 and Chang’e 7.

Chinese scientists are committed to continuing to research lunar water through remote sensing, on-site detection, and laboratory analysis to better understand the source, distribution, and temporal variation of lunar water including polar ice.

Read also: The Moon Stores Water Created from Ancient Volcanoes, How Can You?

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