MUST’s State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences successfully applies for the Chang'e-5 lunar scientific research samples
21/10/2021
21/10/2021
With the announcement of lunar scientific research samples of Chang'e-5 being released on 19th October 2021, the research teams of Associate Professor Zhu Menghua and Assistant Professor Li Shao Lin of the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) respectively received precious lunar samples and will continue to carry out relevant scientific research.
Lunar samples of Chang'e-5, picture released by the China National Space Administration's Lunar Exploration and Space Project Centre
China's Lunar Exploration Project Chang'e-5 probe carried 1731 grams of lunar samples back to Earth at the end of 2020, marking the first return of samples of extraterrestrial objects to China. Due to the particularity of the landing position, the Chang'e-5 samples will provide key evidence on many major issues such as the time limit of lunar magma activity and the limitation of the impact flux of the inner solar system, which are extremely valuable in scientific research. With the strong support of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT), MUST’s State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences established the first celestial sample analysis experimental platform in Hong Kong and Macau to actively prepare for the analysis of lunar samples.
On 8th October 2021, the review meeting for the application for borrowing samples of the Chang'e-5 lunar scientific research was held in Beijing, in which Chair Professor Zhang Keke, Director of the Laboratory, led a team to give a reply for the application for borrowing samples. After review by experts, applications of a total of 17 scientific research institutions have been approved, with MUST’s State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences of Macau University of Science and Technology being the only non-mainland institution selected. The research teams of Associate Professor Zhu Menghua and Assistant Professor Li Shao Lin successfully applied for lunar soil samples (No. CE5C0400) and rock detritus samples (No. CE5Z0403YJYX012), and the teams will conduct research on impact residues, siderophile elements, high-field-strength elements and other aspects of the samples, in order to facilitate people’s understanding of the evolution of the moon and even the solar system, and make Macau contribute to the analysis and research of samples of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Project.
Reprinted from MUST: https://www.must.edu.mo/news/40871-article10201622
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