China approves new lunar sample applications from research institutions

BEIJING -- China's space agency has released the approved list for the ninth batch of lunar sample research applications, allowing successful applicants to borrow samples returned by the Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions.

A total of 30,881.8 milligrams of lunar samples will be lent to 32 research groups from 25 research institutions, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center under the China National Space Administration.

The list includes universities such as Macao University of Science and Technology in South China, Chengdu University of Technology in Southwest China, East China's Donghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology in Northeast China, South China's University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, among others.

This list also features institutions affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences.

China's Chang'e 6 mission collected 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the moon — the first time in human history. Meanwhile, the Chang'e 5 mission retrieved about 1,731 grams of lunar samples.

In July 2021, China delivered the first batch of lunar samples to research institutions. So far the country has lent eight batches of lunar samples to institutions for research purposes.

Last month, China unveiled a series of research findings by Chinese scientists following studies of the samples collected by the Chang'e 6 mission — in categories such as volcanic activity, the ancient magnetic field, water content and geochemical characteristics of the moon mantle.