A Chinese study has revealed that the lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-6 mission exhibit “distinct characteristics” compared to previously obtained lunar samples.
Scientists found that the Chang’e-6 soil samples have a lower density than previous samples, indicating a more porous and loosely structured composition. The plagioclase content of the Chang’e-6 samples is significantly higher than that of the Chang’e-5 samples, while their olivine content is significantly lower.
The study has also revealed that the Chang’e-6 lithic fragment samples are primarily composed of basalt, breccia, agglutinate, glasses, and leucocrate.
Geochemical analysis of the Chang’e-6 lunar samples has shown that their concentration of trace elements such as thorium, uranium, and potassium is markedly different from the samples retrieved by the Apollo missions and the Chang’e-5 mission.
The study was carried out jointly by members from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Lunar E
xploration and Space Engineering Center, and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering.
The Chang’e-6 mission, which includes an orbiter, a lander, an ascent vehicle and a return vehicle, was launched on May 3 by a Long March-5 Y8 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in south China’s Hainan Province.
Source: Qatar News Agency