Latest news with #Chang'e-6
South China Morning Post
12-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
A year after China returns rocks from moon's far side, debate rages over ancient crater
A year after China returned the first rock samples from the moon's far side, scientists are debating whether the mission has answered a central question in lunar science – and whether the country's rising scientific dominance is challenging who gets to tell the story of the moon's past While a team of Chinese researchers believes they may have nailed down the age of the moon's largest and oldest crater – a colossal impact basin that could hold clues to the early solar system – other scientists, mostly from the West, remain unconvinced. Some say the ancient rocks may have come from a different impact and were tossed to the landing site. Others suggest the rocks may not have come from an impact at all, but from magma that cooled slowly underground. 'I don't think the 4.25-billion-year age is 100 per cent certain, but it's the most credible number we have so far – more reliable than model-based crater counting or meteorites with unknown origins,' said planetary scientist Yang Wei of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing. 'It's based on the only direct evidence we've ever collected and measured from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin,' said Yang, who was not directly involved in the study but coordinates a nationwide research effort that gave select teams early access to samples from the Chinese lunar mission Chang'e‑6. The findings, which he described as the most important among a collection of five papers submitted to the journal Nature for peer review last September, were rejected twice by a review panel dominated by Western scientists.
India Today
10-07-2025
- Science
- India Today
Mega crash on the Moon released energy equal to 1,000,000,000,000 atomic bombs
China's ambitious Chang'e-6 mission has delivered new insights into the Moon's geological past, particularly the differences between its near and far on May 3, 2024 the mission returned with 1,935.3 grams of lunar material from the South Pole–Aitken Basin (SPA) on the Moon's far side, arriving back on Earth on 25 June samples have enabled scientists to explore one of planetary science's long-standing mysteries regarding the Moon's topographical and compositional The SPA, the largest and oldest impact structure on the Moon, was formed approximately 4.25 billion years ago by a massive impact. This event is thought to have released energy equivalent to that of a trillion atomic bombs. The Moon samples arrived on Earth on June 25, 2024. (Photo: CNSA) Until recently, the impact's effects on lunar geology and thermal evolution remained unsolved, but recent studies have begun to unravel these conducted over the past year by teams from CAS institutions, including the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) and the National Astronomical Observatories (NAOC), has led to four significant findings were published in the journal Nature, marking a major step forward in understanding the lunar landscape. According to Prof. WU Fuyuan, "the geological consequences of the impact that formed the SPA are, for the first time, revealed collectively in these four Nature papers."One key discovery is the evidence of prolonged volcanic activity on the Moon's far side. The analysis identified two distinct volcanic phases occurring 4.2 billion and 2.8 billion years persistence of volcanic activity for at least 1.4 billion years is far longer than previously a fluctuating magnetic field was observed. Measurements revealed a resurgence in the Moon's magnetic field around 2.8 billion years ago, indicating that the lunar dynamo responsible for generating magnetic fields was more active than previously thought, experiencing episodes of fluctuation rather than a steady samples also highlight an asymmetric water distribution between the Moon's near and far far side's mantle contains significantly less water, suggesting an uneven distribution of volatile elements within the lunar interior, shedding light on the Moon's compositional diversity. Finally, geochemical analyses of the basalt samples unveiled a mantle source described as "ultra-depleted," pointing to a primordial depleted mantle or massive melt extraction due to large impacts. This insight points to the role of major impacts in shaping the Moon's findings not only illuminate the evolution of the Moon's far side but also shows the transformative impact of the Chang'e-6 mission, offering a critical reference point for studying early Solar System impacts.- EndsMust Watch
Saba Yemen
17-06-2025
- Science
- Saba Yemen
Roscosmos: Russia plans to build first nuclear power plant on Moon
Moscow - (Saba): Dmitry Bakanov, head of Roscosmos, announced that the agency plans to build the first nuclear power plant on the Moon and work on exploring Venus. Sputnik news agency quoted Bakanov, speaking on the Telegram channel about the projects Roscosmos is working on, as saying: "The tasks assigned to our agency include the creation of a new Russian orbital station to replace the International Space Station." He continued: "Establishing the first nuclear power plant on the surface of the Moon to serve as the basis for future lunar bases... We also plan to explore Venus, as we are the only country to have launched a spacecraft and landed on this planet." He added: "We also plan to expand our satellite constellation to increase the speed of satellite broadband internet and ensure coverage of all parts of our country with these services. We also plan to increase the accuracy of the GLONASS navigation system and improve the capabilities of domestic rockets and spacecraft." He concluded: "Great goals lie ahead. We must implement projects that require courage, broad thinking, and engineering genius." Russia and China have announced plans to build a scientific station on the Moon in cooperation with several countries. In 2021, the Russian space agency Roscosmos signed an agreement with China to this effect. As part of the station project, China is expected to send a satellite. Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7, and Chang'e-8 will also be launched to the Moon. Russia is also expected to launch several lunar orbiters and lunar surface exploration vehicles. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
China sets launch of asteroid probe Tianwen-2 for late May, state media reports
BEIJING: China is preparing to launch near-Earth asteroid probe Tianwen-2 at the end of May, state-run CCTV reported on Sunday, in the country's first mission to collect samples from interplanetary space. Tianwen-2 was transported to the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre's launch area on May 14 and will take off after passing inspections, the report said. The craft will use a mechanical arm to scoop up dust samples from the surface of 2016 HO3, a small 100-m (328-ft) asteroid that circles Earth like a 'quasi-satellite'. It will also explore 311P, a comet. Other nations including the U.S. and Japan have successfully landed on asteroids. A space race between China and the U.S. has led to the launch of new exploration plans in recent years. In 2024, China became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon's far side with its Chang'e-6 lunar probe. Around 2028, China's Tianwen-3 mission will attempt to bring back samples from Mars.
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
China to Launch Tianwen-2 Asteroid Mission in May
BEIJING: China is preparing to launch near-Earth asteroid probe Tianwen-2 at the end of May, state-run CCTV reported on Sunday, in the country's first mission to collect samples from interplanetary space. Tianwen-2 was transported to the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre's launch area on May 14 and will take off after passing inspections, the report said. The craft will use a mechanical arm to scoop up dust samples from the surface of 2016 HO3, a small 100-m (328-ft) asteroid that circles Earth like a 'quasi-satellite'. It will also explore 311P, a comet. Other nations including the U.S. and Japan have successfully landed on asteroids. A space race between China and the U.S. has led to the launch of new exploration plans in recent years. In 2024, China became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon's far side with its Chang'e-6 lunar probe. Around 2028, China's Tianwen-3 mission will attempt to bring back samples from Mars.
