Exploring Water on the Moon: Insights from China's Chang'e 5 Mission
Written on
Chapter 1: The Chang'e 5 Mission
China's Chang'e 5 lunar lander has recently uncovered traces of water within the lunar soil and rocks at its landing site. Utilizing spectral reflectance data, this mission has provided vital insights into the Moon's geological composition.
As we delve into the findings, it's essential to highlight the significance of this water discovery, which adds another layer to our understanding of lunar resources.
Section 1.1: Overview of Chang'e 5
China is currently executing an ambitious four-phase program aimed at exploring the Moon. The latest step involved the successful landing of the Chang’e 5 lander, which was designed to collect and return samples from the lunar surface. The spacecraft touched down on December 1, 2020, gathered over 1,700 grams of lunar rock and regolith, and returned to Earth on December 16, 2020. This milestone made China the third nation to retrieve Moon samples after the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and the first in nearly 45 years.
Subsection 1.1.1: Achievements of the Mission
The Chang’e 5 lander was situated in a geologically young mare basalt, essentially a lava floodplain. During its mission, it performed spectral reflectance measurements of the surrounding terrain. Adjusting for the lunar surface's heat, researchers detected absorption signatures indicative of water. This study was published in Science Advances and was led by scientists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Section 1.2: Understanding the Water Detection
It's important to temper excitement regarding lunar water, as previous orbital missions and the SOFIA airborne telescope have also detected it. The current analysis indicated less than 120 parts per million of water, likely originating from the solar wind. This phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the solar wind interact with surface dust, resulting in water molecule formation beneath the surface—a similar process appears to occur on the Moon.
Chapter 2: Implications for Lunar Exploration
Interestingly, one analyzed rock showed about 180 parts per million of water, hinting that the lunar interior may be a more promising source of in situ water. This rock may have been ejected to the surface during an explosive eruption or through a meteorite impact.
Space: China's Chang'e 5 Lunar Lander Finds First On-Site Evidence Of Water On Moon's Surface
The significance of this discovery lies in its potential to aid various space agencies—including the U.S., Russia, and China—in their quest for in situ resources necessary for establishing a lunar base. In fact, this is the ultimate goal of China's exploration program: utilizing in-situ resources to build a research station near the Moon’s south pole. However, before this phase commences, China plans to launch the Chang’e 6 mission in 2024, which will also focus on sample collection.
China's Chang'e-5 Lunar Probe First to Find Water on the Moon Up Close
We will keep you informed about ongoing developments and scientific findings from these significant lunar missions.