China’s ‘Chang’e-6‘ mission, carried out on the dark side of the Moon, is on the agenda again with a new finding that will make history.
MEETITE TRACES IN SAMPLES FROM THE MOON
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There has been a remarkable development regarding the ‘Chang’e-6’ mission, which is followed closely by the world and has created controversy in some circles with claims that “China is hiding something on the Moon”. In this mission carried out on the dark side of the Moon, Chinese researchers found fragments of a meteorite that once contained water.
CI CHONDRITE TYPE MATERIAL HAS BEEN DETECTED FOR THE FIRST TIME
According to ScienceAlert, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences examined the Moon samples brought to Earth in June 2024. In the analyses, carbonaceous chondrite (CI chondrite) fragments that had come into contact with water were detected. These types of meteorites are among the rare examples that can continue on their way without burning up as they enter the atmosphere.
PROVED THAT WATER-RICH ASTEROITES CAN REACH THE MOON
This finding proved that water-rich and porous asteroids can reach the Moon’s surface. According to experts, about 20 percent of the mass of asteroids in the CI chondrite class consists of hydrated minerals. Only 1 percent of the meteors known on Earth are in this group. The fact that such a meteorite hitting the Moon left its mark without evaporating or melting makes the discovery even more meaningful.
SHEDS LIGHT ON THE ORIGIN OF WATER
In the article published in the journal PNAS, it was stated that approximately 30 percent of the samples collected by Chang’e-6 consisted of carbon-rich substances. Researchers stated that the meteorite may have come from the outer Solar System and that the findings provide new clues about how water reached the Moon’s surface.
Scientist Lin Mang said that the results represent “an important step in understanding how water spreads on the lunar surface.” The findings also support theories that water was transported to Earth by carbon-rich asteroids billions of years ago.
DETAILS OF THE HISTORICAL MISSION
The samples collected by the Chang’e-6 spacecraft from the Moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin are examined with advanced microscope and spectrometer techniques. In June last year, the return capsule landed safely in Inner Mongolia. Chinese state media described this success as “an unprecedented step in the history of human exploration of the Moon.” Analysis of the collected samples is still ongoing at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Experts state that these studies may bring new answers to critical questions regarding the formation of the Moon and the origin of water.
