Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: CCTV

Chinese scientists have identified remnants from meteorites in lunar samples rocketed to Earth by the country’s Chang’e-6 mission.

The finding sheds light on the Moon’s past and material transfer in the solar system.

Led by a research team from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, scientists identified impact remnants originating from the CI carbonaceous chondrites.

The work involved systematic petrographic analyses and examining the trace elements and oxygen isotope compositions of olivine-bearing fragments in the two-gram lunar samples collected by the Chang’e-6 mission.

The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Image credit: CCTV

Rich in water

According to Lin Mang, a researcher at GIG: “There are many hypotheses about the origin of the water on the Moon. Some say it was generated on the Moon, some say it came from the Sun, and some say it came from cometary meteorites.”

The meteorites identified are rich in water, Lin told China Central Television (CCTV), “but previously we thought the percentage of such meteorites was very small on the Moon.

The discovery of numerous such meteorites, Lin added, “suggests their contribution to the lunar water was seriously underestimated. Further research is needed to quantify the true extent of water brought to the Moon by these meteorites.”

Artwork depicts China’s Change’-6 lander/ascender on the Moon.
Image credit: CNSA

As CI chondrites are rich in water and volatiles, this finding supports the hypothesis, CCTV notes that asteroids played a role in delivering water and other volatiles to the lunar surface, according to the findings.

53-day journey

China’s Chang’e-6 collected the first-ever lunar samples from the far side of the Moon, rocketing them to Earth in June 2024, after a 53-day space journey.

Chang’e-6’s returner capsule parachuted into a selected site in north China, bringing back from the Moon over 1.93 kilograms of samples.

To access the PNAS paper – “Impactor relics of CI-like chondrites in Chang’e-6 lunar samples” – go to:

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2501614122

The Chang’e-6 sample container is shown being removed from the Chang’e-6 return capsule.
Image credit: Jin Liwang via SegerYU X posting.