Wang Jingli

wangjingli0715@163.com

XIE HEPING, a researcher from the Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy of Shenzhen University (SZU), went to the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing on Monday to receive a set of moon samples retrieved by the Chang’e-5 probe.

The set of lunar samples, weighing 100 milligrams, was handed over to SZU on Monday night.

SZU has become the first university and research institute in the city to obtain lunar samples. This is also the first time that the city has been entrusted with lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-5 mission, according to the university.

Xie, an academician, was approved to receive the 100-milligram moon samples brought back by the Chang’e-5 mission for related studies, the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

According to the team led by Xie, the samples will be mainly used for lunar soil thermodynamic studies. Research results are also expected to help explain planetary scientific phenomena such as growth in protoplanetary disks and to guide the design, prediction and analysis of deep space engineering projects such as asteroid orbit control.

On April 25, CNSA’s Deep Space Exploration Lab and Xie jointly built a scientist studio to conduct in-depth cooperative research on the development of deep space material resources.

A total of 60 applications from 16 research institutions and universities including SZU won approval to study the lunar samples.

The Chang’e-5 probe returned to Earth on Dec. 17, 2020, retrieving a total of 1,731 grams of lunar samples, mainly rocks and soil from the moon’s surface, which are the first lunar samples obtained by humanity since 1976, according to a CGTN report.

China delivered the first batch of the lunar samples, weighing about 17 grams, to 13 institutions in July 2021.