[ad_1]
I would be forgiven for thinking that the Moon no longer holds any secrets, after all, man has studied our closest natural companion since ancient times.
You would also be wrong. That’s because at the end of October two international teams revealed clear evidence of the presence of important water reservoirs on the Moon.
Although this discovery immediately led to illusions about possible human supply chains and a permanent human presence on the Moon, extracting lunar water will present a major engineering challenge, as the water droplets appear to be encased within glass beads.
Additionally, exploration of the nearby solar system has become a renewed focal point among various international scientific teams. At the time of writing, the Japanese Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample return mission is expected to land in the outback of South Australia in just a few hours.
The spacecraft is expected to transport tens of grams of material from the asteroid Ryugu, a remnant of the planet-forming process in the early solar system. Scientists hope that by studying the water-containing minerals in the returned samples, they can fill in the gaps in our knowledge of the formation history of our solar system.
China’s Chang’e-5 lunar sample return mission has clearly arrived at a fortuitous time, despite the mission incurring a three-year delay due to engine problems encountered by the Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket. Y2 in 2017. China National Space Agency (CNSA) roadmap for robotic and eventually human lunar exploration.
Following the example of Chang’e-4 landing on the opposite side of the Moon in early January 2019, China has chosen to embark on a careful approach to reaching and achieving well-defined spaceflight milestones.
The Chang’e-5 mission, in turn, is a test of numerous complex technical procedures that will ultimately benefit human exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.
The spacecraft is the third Chinese mission to land on the Moon and the first to return to Earth, representing a new step in an increasingly complex series of missions.
The spacecraft included a lander, an ascendant, an orbiter, and a return. The first two portions jointly reached the lunar surface before the ascendant returned to the orbiter-returner pair.
Operating each of these components carries risks, so this mission functions as a test of key technologies that human explorers may eventually need if the Chinese decide to establish a permanent lunar base. Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration, announced that the goal is to launch a manned lunar mission by 2029.
Chang’e-5 landed near Mons Rümker, a 1,300-meter-high volcanic complex in the northern region of the unexplored Oceanus Procellarum (the “Ocean of Storms”), vast, dark plains of lava on the near side of the Moon. visible from Earth. .
The rocks in this area are believed to be a few billion years younger than the 382 kilograms collected by the Apollo astronauts, so the Chang’e-5 mission could address a major gap in our understanding of volcanic activity. most recent on the Moon.
Lunar material brought to Earth by American and Soviet lunar missions suggests that the Moon was volcanically active about 3.5 billion years ago and then faded. However, recent observations of the Moon’s surface imply that the Moon may have been volcanically active up to a billion or two billion years ago. The question remains how a fairly small body of rock could produce heat.
By the time the spacecraft returns to Inner Mongolia in mid-December, it will be 44 years since the last successful lunar sample return mission: the Soviet Union’s Moon 24.
Despite this long gap in missions, lunar and planetary scientists around the world still routinely request access to moon rock samples. Researchers will therefore be eager to get their hands on some of the roughly 2 kilograms of lunar material collected by the Chinese spacecraft.
Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA’s science mission, congratulated the CNSA and tweeted: “When samples collected on the Moon are returned to Earth, we hope that everyone will benefit from being able to study this precious cargo that could advance the international scientific community “.
Despite US government policies that prevent NASA scientists from collaborating with their Chinese counterparts, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying referred to the mission as “a historic step in cooperation. China with the international community in the peaceful use of outer space. China will continue to promote international cooperation and the exploration and use of outer space in the spirit of working for the benefit of all mankind. “
In fact, the mission received technical and operational support from the European Space Agency, so it is likely that a data and sample exchange agreement will be reached between Chinese and European scientists.
This arrangement can only be a positive step for scientific progress and better mutual understanding. Science as a discipline transcends artificial national boundaries, and thus scientific collaboration serves as a unifying force, independent of national politics.
Science is a human endeavor that benefits from the open exchange of diverse opinions, backgrounds, and experiences. As such, this is a great opportunity for China to demonstrate to the international community its commitment to the advancement of humanity.
Richard de Grijs is a Dutch Professor of Astrophysics and Associate Dean at Macquarie University in Sydney.
Opinion pieces reflect the opinions of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
If you want to contribute, contact us at [email protected].
