Chinese samples indicate 170 grams of water per ton of lunar soil

Sep. 16 () –

Analysis of lunar samples brought back to Earth by the Chinese Chang’e-5 probe suggests that minerals on the lunar surface have a high water content derived from the solar wind.

Researchers from the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found a large amount of water in the returned lunar soil samples, with an estimated content of at least 170 parts per million, equivalent to 170 grams of water per ton of lunar soil.

The discovery, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that lunar minerals are important reservoirs of water.

In January, a group of Chinese researchers confirmed, for the first time, the presence of water in lunar samples from Chang’e-5. In June, another Chinese team claimed that the lunar probe had detected water signs in hydroxyl form at the landing site, but the total water content of the samples was relatively low.

The Chang’e-5 probe returned to Earth on December 17, 2020 and recovered a total of 1,731 grams of lunar materials from the northeastern basin of Oceanus Procellarum, which is at a higher latitude than explored by all previous sampling missions.

Due to a lack of direct evidence from sample analysis, the formation and distribution of water on the lunar surface remains unclear, but the new study has provided a reference for the distribution of water in the mid-latitude region of the Moonaccording to the researchers.

“In the future, lunar surface water can be extracted to supplement the life support needs of the planned lunar research station,” said Tang Hong, a member of the research team, quoted by Xinhua.