https://www.scmp.com/rss/508021/feed China’s moon mission saw the Chang’e-5 space lander make a historic collection of samples from the lunar surface. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ling Xin Ling Xin China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission has yielded groundbreaking findings about the moon’s hidden history, revealing evidence that a colossal asteroid strike more than 4 billion years ago could have fundamentally altered the deep interior of its far side. The research was published as four open-access papers on Wednesday in Nature, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific journals, which is headquartered in London. While these papers are available to all readers regardless of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3317578/chinas-change-6-findings-reveal-asteroid-strike-may-have-altered-moons-far-side-mantle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3317578/chinas-change-6-findings-reveal-asteroid-strike-may-have-altered-moons-far-side-mantle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China has completed the inaugural test flight of its next-generation Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, executing a critical zero-altitude escape trial at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. The successful test hints at differences in the plans of China and the United States to “return to the moon”. Developed for China’s 2030 lunar ambitions, the modular Mengzhou spacecraft features two variants: a near-Earth version supporting space station operations with a seven-astronaut... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314870/mengzhou-spacecraft-chinas-moon-landing-mission-passes-landmark-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314870/mengzhou-spacecraft-chinas-moon-landing-mission-passes-landmark-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Water ice is likely to exist at the moon’s south pole, but it would be fragmented, scattered and buried deep beneath the surface, posing significant challenges for detection and extraction, according to a new study by Chinese researchers. Using powerful Earth-based instruments, including the world’s largest radio telescope and one of the most advanced radar systems, the team estimated that ice made up no more than 6 per cent of the material within the top 10 metres (33 feet) of lunar soil in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3309441/china-fires-powerful-radar-search-lunar-ice-can-make-or-break-moon-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3309441/china-fires-powerful-radar-search-lunar-ice-can-make-or-break-moon-race?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 May 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s Tiandu-1 satellite has taken part in a laser ranging experiment in Earth-moon space under strong daylight conditions, which the satellite’s developer says is the first test of its kind. China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) ran a laser ranging experiment on April 26-27 from the Earth to the Tiandu-1 experimental satellite, which has been orbiting the moon since its launch in March last year, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Satellite laser ranging measures the distance to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3308475/chinas-daytime-laser-ranging-breakthrough-takes-moon-race-new-height?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3308475/chinas-daytime-laser-ranging-breakthrough-takes-moon-race-new-height?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Apr 2025 07:00:14 +0000 China’s space agency has agreed to share samples of moon rocks with universities in the United States and five other countries. The China National Space Administration said on Thursday it would share samples brought back to earth by the Chang’e-5 mission with Brown University in Rhode Island and Stony Brook University in New York. The two American institutions needed special permission from Congress to receive the samples. The space administration announced the loan to the US universities and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3307819/us-scientists-given-access-moon-rocks-brought-back-chinas-change-5-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3307819/us-scientists-given-access-moon-rocks-brought-back-chinas-change-5-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:06:48 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Scientists in China have proposed building a radio telescope array on the moon’s far side, which, if approved, could become the first operational lunar radio observatory. The array would consist of 7,200 butterfly-shaped wire antennas to detect ultra-long wavelength cosmic signals that are blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere but are crucial for understanding the early universe, especially the period before the first stars turned on. While United States scientists have previously proposed similar... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3302926/chinese-scientists-propose-giant-telescope-far-side-moon-understand-early-cosmos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3302926/chinese-scientists-propose-giant-telescope-far-side-moon-understand-early-cosmos?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2025 02:00:08 +0000 Chinese scientists have found direct evidence that the moon’s magnetic field persisted well into its midlife, long after it was thought to have disappeared. Researchers analysing tiny rocks returned by China’s Chang’e-5 mission discovered that the moon’s magnetic field measured two to four microteslas around two billion years ago – less than 10 per cent of Earth’s present-day surface field. They published their findings in the Science Advances journal on Thursday. Ross Mitchell, co-author of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3293095/moons-magnetic-pull-lasted-much-longer-thought-chinese-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3293095/moons-magnetic-pull-lasted-much-longer-thought-chinese-study?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jan 2025 10:00:09 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng When a group of Chinese primary school pupils with a keen interest in astronomy were asked what language the research on China’s Chang’e-6 lunar soil samples should be written in, they stopped smiling. The pupils of Fangcaodi International School, a state-run primary school in Beijing with an emphasis on science education, have closely followed China’s recent lunar endeavours. In June, the Chang’e-6 mission returned home with the first ever samples from the far side of the moon. At the time, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3283658/why-english-still-language-science-china-and-what-it-means-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3283658/why-english-still-language-science-china-and-what-it-means-research?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:00:08 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin For the first time, Chinese scientists and their US collaborators have been able to precisely measure the age of volcanic eruptions on the far side of the moon. Previously this was only estimated through remote sensing observations. Two research teams led by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, based in Beijing and Guangzhou, used radiometric dating to analyse isotope decay in basalts, a type of volcanic rock brought back to Earth by China’s Chang’e-6 mission in June. Their studies,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3286659/world-first-chinese-sample-reveals-young-volcanic-activity-moons-far-side?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3286659/world-first-chinese-sample-reveals-young-volcanic-activity-moons-far-side?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:00:09 +0000 1. Elon Musk influence in Trump White House poses ‘huge test’ to China’s space ambitions The billionaire SpaceX owner’s presence in the new administration could accelerate the US space programme, intensifying the US-China space rivalry. Observers advise sticking to domestic milestones, avoiding a space race with the US. 2. Hopes fade for moon sample swap between China and US as Nasa silent on sharing their samples Negotiations between China and the US for a moon sample exchange stall as the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3286726/musk-casts-shadow-chinas-space-ambitions-us-moon-sample-swap-stalls-mars-ocean-found-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3286726/musk-casts-shadow-chinas-space-ambitions-us-moon-sample-swap-stalls-mars-ocean-found-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 08:10:39 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Hopes are fading that the US will respond to a Chinese offer to exchange moon samples, with no word yet from Nasa on what it could swap. Space officials in the two countries have been negotiating Chinese access to Apollo lunar samples in exchange for Chang’e-5 samples being loaned to US scientists. But while China is ready to share their moon rocks, the request for the American samples remains unanswered, people familiar with the matter said this week. “Basically, the Americans want our lunar... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3285725/hopes-dim-china-and-us-space-agencies-exchange-moon-samples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3285725/hopes-dim-china-and-us-space-agencies-exchange-moon-samples?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Nov 2024 14:00:08 +0000 China has unveiled materials for the construction of a future lunar base that could be sourced directly from the moon and more durable than conventional concrete bricks. In a report on Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV said the interlocking blocks, which appeared to be black and resembled basalt found on the lunar surface, each weighed about half a kilogram (1 pound). When two blocks are connected, they form a square 3cm (1.2 inches) high and 10cm deep. The building blocks were developed by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3283107/will-these-be-building-blocks-chinas-base-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3283107/will-these-be-building-blocks-chinas-base-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Oct 2024 12:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Lunar samples brought to Earth by a Chinese probe have provided new evidence that volcanoes on the moon continued erupting until as recently as 120 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the planet. The analysis by Chinese researchers not only challenges long-held assumptions about the moon’s geological evolution, but also adds to scientific debate about the thermal evolution of other planetary bodies and the question of how planets cool. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277361/how-chinas-change-5-lunar-probe-and-3-glass-beads-rewrote-moons-geological-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277361/how-chinas-change-5-lunar-probe-and-3-glass-beads-rewrote-moons-geological-past?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2024 18:00:13 +0000 Chinese scientists say they have come up with a method to extract water from the moon’s soil – a potentially vital step towards building a lunar research base. The technique depends on extracting hydrogen and oxygen from the soil at extremely high temperatures, and was described on Thursday as “highly practical” by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The search for water has long been one of the top priorities for lunar exploration missions, but previous efforts had focused on the search for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3275521/chinese-scientists-devise-method-get-water-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3275521/chinese-scientists-devise-method-get-water-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:14:34 +0000 Chinese scientists have found water molecules in lunar soil for the first time, a discovery that could be fundamental for understanding how the moon evolved and how to exploit its resources. Samples brought back by American Apollo astronauts decades ago revealed no sign of water and led scientists to conclude that lunar soil must be completely dry, according to Nasa. Now, based on lunar soil samples returned by China’s Chang’e-5 mission in 2020, Chinese scientists have found a hydrated mineral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3271585/chinese-team-finds-first-trace-lunar-water-big-step-towards-understanding-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3271585/chinese-team-finds-first-trace-lunar-water-big-step-towards-understanding-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 12:00:09 +0000 The moon has long served as timekeeper, calendar and powerful symbol for people around the world. In Chinese culture, Earth’s only natural satellite reflects peace, prosperity, family ties – and now cutting-edge science. So, it is exciting to see Hong Kong researchers take on an important role in supporting national space exploration efforts. Polytechnic University has requested access to some of the lunar soil collected last month during the Chang’e-6 mission – the first samples from the far... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3269986/shot-latest-moon-rocks-helps-hong-kong-lift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3269986/shot-latest-moon-rocks-helps-hong-kong-lift?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:15:08 +0000 Researchers from a university in Hong Kong are planning to apply for lunar soil samples from the far side of the moon which China’s historic Chang’e-6 mission brought back to Earth for the first time ever last month. Polytechnic University also said on Wednesday that it had recently secured the loan of lunar soil samples collected by the Chang’e-5 mission in 2020 which would be used for investigations into a search for water on the moon. The China National Space Administration’s Lunar... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3269081/researchers-hong-kong-eye-far-side-moon-soil-samples-chinas-change-6-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3269081/researchers-hong-kong-eye-far-side-moon-soil-samples-chinas-change-6-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:42:26 +0000 China has landed on the moon’s far side for a second time, and will soon start collecting rock samples from the oldest lunar basin to bring back to Earth. The Chang’e-6 lander successfully touched down in the northeastern part of the South Pole-Aitken basin at 6.23am Beijing time on Sunday, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced. “At 6.23 am on June 2, with the support of Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the Chang’e-6 lander and ascender successfully landed in the pre-selected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3265037/chinas-change-6-lander-touches-down-far-side-moon-mission-bring-rock-samples-back-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3265037/chinas-change-6-lander-touches-down-far-side-moon-mission-bring-rock-samples-back-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 23:07:03 +0000 China has launched a historic mission to return the first samples from the far side of the moon. The Chang’e-6 spacecraft lifted off aboard a Long March 5 rocket from Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on Hainan Island at 5.27pm Beijing time on Friday, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced shortly after the launch. The rocket’s second stage separated 37 minutes after launch, sending Chang’e-6 into a predetermined Earth-moon transfer orbit, according to CNSA. The mission was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3261346/chinas-change-6-blasts-mission-fetch-first-rock-samples-far-side-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3261346/chinas-change-6-blasts-mission-fetch-first-rock-samples-far-side-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 09:29:06 +0000 Scientists could be a step closer to solving the mystery of how the surface of the moon got its weathered and cratered appearance, after the discovery of unique minerals in lunar soil samples collected by the Chang’e 5 mission. Titanium compounds, including Ti2O, which have never been seen in natural samples on Earth, were found on the surface of a tiny glass bead brought back by China’s Chang’e 5 spacecraft in 2020, according to researchers from the Institute of Geochemistry in Guiyang and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3257914/chinese-scientists-find-two-new-minerals-moon-could-explain-mystery-lunar-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3257914/chinese-scientists-find-two-new-minerals-moon-could-explain-mystery-lunar-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Apr 2024 22:00:31 +0000 Three Chinese satellites have successfully entered lunar orbit, while the status of two others remains unclear after apparent rescue efforts. The Queqiao-2 communication relay satellite, launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre in southern China on March 20, arrived at 440km (273 miles) above the moon’s surface early on Monday morning, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Following a 19-minute-long braking burn which began at 12.46am, the spacecraft slowed, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3256888/chinas-moon-programme-3-satellites-enter-lunar-orbit-while-fate-2-did-not-reach-planned-altitude-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3256888/chinas-moon-programme-3-satellites-enter-lunar-orbit-while-fate-2-did-not-reach-planned-altitude-not?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Mar 2024 06:00:29 +0000 Chinese scientists are offering new insights into the moon’s past by analysing the unique make-up of lunar samples returned by the country’s Chang’e 5 mission. When an asteroid or comet crashed into the lunar surface 280 million years ago, it created pressures as high as 40 gigapascals – about 400,000 atmospheres – within a fraction of a second. The collision not only left behind one of today’s brightest craters on the moon’s surface, but compressed some soils into a special form of silicon... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3256588/chinese-scientists-analysing-change-5-lunar-rock-samples-find-clues-moons-past-super-hard-material?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3256588/chinese-scientists-analysing-change-5-lunar-rock-samples-find-clues-moons-past-super-hard-material?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Mar 2024 03:57:56 +0000 China has launched a new communications relay satellite to support its moon ambitions in the decade to come. Queqiao-2, or Magpie Bridge-2, lifted off atop a Long March 8 rocket from Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on southern China’s Hainan Island at 8.31am on Wednesday, according to the China National Space Administration. After flying for 24 minutes, the rocket sent the relay satellite directly into the planned Earth-moon transfer orbit with a perigee height of 200km (124 miles) and an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3256017/china-launches-relay-satellite-allow-communication-far-side-moon-and-further-nations-lunar-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3256017/china-launches-relay-satellite-allow-communication-far-side-moon-and-further-nations-lunar-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 01:04:10 +0000 China said a pair of its technology test satellites failed to reach a planned orbit on their way to the moon – a rare miss in the country’s space mission launch record in recent years. DRO-A and B lifted off atop a Long March 2C from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre at 8.51pm on Wednesday. The rocket’s first and second stages worked normally, but its Yuanzheng-1S upper stage did not, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday. “The satellites have not been inserted into their designated... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3255465/moon-miss-two-chinese-test-satellites-fail-reach-orbit-after-rockets-upper-stage-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3255465/moon-miss-two-chinese-test-satellites-fail-reach-orbit-after-rockets-upper-stage-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:04:44 +0000 China plans to establish all-seeing surveillance on the moon after drawing on the successes of the country’s massive video surveillance network, Skynet, for a system it says will ensure the security of its forthcoming lunar base. Agencies behind the project say the lessons of Skynet will inform how they build and operate the optical surveillance system for China’s lunar research station. Skynet, or Tianwang, is the world’s largest video surveillance network, with more than 600 million cameras,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3254054/skynet-20-china-plans-bring-largest-surveillance-camera-network-earth-moon-protect-lunar-assets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3254054/skynet-20-china-plans-bring-largest-surveillance-camera-network-earth-moon-protect-lunar-assets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:28:16 +0000 An American private lunar lander mission frustrated by technical problems is a setback for the United States’ ambitions to return to the moon cost effectively, and might leave it behind in the moon race with China, a space policy expert said. A few hours after the Peregrine spacecraft lifted off from Florida on Monday, carrying scientific instruments and other payload, it suffered a propellant leak, according to Astrobotic, the Pennsylvania-based company that built the craft. The leak caused the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3247917/feared-failure-peregrine-mission-could-put-us-behind-china-moon-race-says-space-policy-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3247917/feared-failure-peregrine-mission-could-put-us-behind-china-moon-race-says-space-policy-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:19:38 +0000 China and India scored moon landings, while Russia, Japan and Israel ended up in the lunar rubbish heap. Now two private companies are hustling to get the US back in the game, more than five decades after the Apollo programme ended. It is part of a Nasa-supported effort to kick-start commercial moon deliveries, as the space agency focuses on getting astronauts back there. “They’re scouts going to the moon ahead of us,” said Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson. Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic Technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3247331/private-companies-attempt-first-us-moon-landings-apollo-missions-half-century-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3247331/private-companies-attempt-first-us-moon-landings-apollo-missions-half-century-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2024 21:41:42 +0000 The removal of Li Shangfu as China’s defence minister on Tuesday marked the end of the aerospace expert’s four-decade career in which he was instrumental in the country’s ambitious space programme. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top lawmaking body, announced the decision at the end of a five-day meeting – after Li had disappeared from public view for more than two months. He was also dismissed from his position as a state councillor and expelled from the Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238868/removal-li-shangfu-chinas-defence-minister-ends-stratospheric-career-space-military-and-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238868/removal-li-shangfu-chinas-defence-minister-ends-stratospheric-career-space-military-and-government?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:10:04 +0000 The “founding father” of China’s lunar exploration programme has disputed India’s claim that its spacecraft landed near the moon’s south pole in a historic mission in August. After the Chandrayaan-3 landing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “through the hard work and talent of our scientists, India has reached the south pole of the moon, where no other country in the world has ever reached”. But on Wednesday, Chinese cosmochemist Ouyang Ziyuan – who was the chief scientist on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3236022/did-indias-chandrayaan-3-spacecraft-really-land-near-moons-south-pole?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3236022/did-indias-chandrayaan-3-spacecraft-really-land-near-moons-south-pole?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:00:12 +0000 August has been a busy month for moon exploration. India has successfully landed a spacecraft on the lunar south pole. Just before that, though, Russia crash-landed its own craft on the surface of the moon and lost communication. There is a sense of deja vu that another space race is on, except this time, it will involve multiple nations, not just two Cold War rivals. Chandrayaan-3 arrived unscathed on the tough lunar terrain, making India the fourth nation to successfully perform a controlled... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232746/no-room-weapons-latest-space-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232746/no-room-weapons-latest-space-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Aug 2023 19:49:38 +0000 Despite its Luna-25 spacecraft crashing, Russia will probably remain China’s major partner to build a base on the moon, although the setback may see the US-led Artemis programme get ahead on its own base project, a space policy researcher says. Russia’s robotic probe, which was scheduled to touch down in the lunar south pole region early this week, encountered an engine failure during Saturday’s manoeuvre to lower its orbit ready for the landing, head of Russian space agency Roscosmos Yury... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3231901/despite-luna-25-spacecraft-crash-china-expected-continue-working-russia-race-moon-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3231901/despite-luna-25-spacecraft-crash-china-expected-continue-working-russia-race-moon-base?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Aug 2023 01:00:22 +0000 India’s latest space mission completed a key step in the country’s second attempt at a lunar landing, with its moon module separating from its propulsion section on Thursday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that the lander module of the Chandrayaan-3, which means Mooncraft in Sanskrit, had “successfully separated” from the propulsion module six days ahead of a planned landing slated for August 23. “Thanks for the ride, mate!” ISRO said in a post on the social media... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3231433/excitement-mounts-india-attempts-2nd-moon-landing-thanks-ride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3231433/excitement-mounts-india-attempts-2nd-moon-landing-thanks-ride?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Aug 2023 11:15:12 +0000 Rocks and dust from the moon have touched down in Hong Kong and researchers said the rare samples would help pave the way for future developments in lunar research in the city. Dr Qian Yuqi, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), on Monday unveiled the 822.6 milligrams of lunar material, which included some of the youngest moon rocks ever found. He picked up the precious samples in person from the China National Space Administration’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3230268/hong-kong-scientists-have-lift-research-project-after-expert-wins-bid-use-moon-rocks-and-dust-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3230268/hong-kong-scientists-have-lift-research-project-after-expert-wins-bid-use-moon-rocks-and-dust-study?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:19:55 +0000 The nation has just observed Space Day, a relatively new commemoration with seemingly no boundaries in time or space as future generations continue to unlock the secrets of the universe. Apart from celebrating China’s remarkable achievements in emulating long-established space powers the United States and Russia, the day aims to rally public support for extraordinarily expensive participation in international rivalry in space exploration and scientific research. That rivalry is highlighted by... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218213/space-no-place-china-us-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218213/space-no-place-china-us-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2023 21:18:08 +0000 After China’s Chang’e 5 lunar probe returned to Earth with around 2kg (4.4lbs) of moon dust and rock in 2020, Liu Dunyi and his team at Beijing’s Life Science Park were given just 2 grams (0.07oz) of it. The sample was tiny – just a microscopic film – but it was enough to establish the date of the lunar crater it had been taken from. Based on those results, the Chinese team, together with peers from Australia, Britain, Sweden and the United States, confirmed that volcanic activity continued on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3217185/time-machine-taking-chinas-earth-scientists-back-through-dust-distant-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3217185/time-machine-taking-chinas-earth-scientists-back-through-dust-distant-past?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Apr 2023 02:00:21 +0000 Scientists say lunar samples from China’s Chang’e 5 mission have helped them understand why lava still flowed on the moon 2 billion years ago – a time when the moon was thought to have cooled down completely. Though the moon’s interior was cooling at the time, a lunar mantle increasingly rich in calcium and titanium – elements with relatively low melting points – may have helped sustain volcanic eruptions that produced the lava, according to a paper in Science Advances on Friday. “Our study... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3196847/why-did-lava-flow-cold-and-dead-moon-chinese-scientists-find-clues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3196847/why-did-lava-flow-cold-and-dead-moon-chinese-scientists-find-clues?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 18:00:24 +0000 Tiny lunar glass beads that form after asteroid strikes reveal how meteorite impacts on the moon million years ago mirrored those on Earth, including the celestial crash that doomed the dinosaurs, say scientists. After analysing lunar soil samples brought back by China’s Chang’e 5 mission in late 2020, the international research team said the moon could be used as a blueprint to construct a timeline showing the bombardment of Earth. “The moon is the Earth’s natural satellite. Think about the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3194140/chinas-rock-samples-brought-back-moon-shed-light-meteor-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3194140/chinas-rock-samples-brought-back-moon-shed-light-meteor-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Sep 2022 18:00:16 +0000 Chinese scientists have discovered a new mineral on the moon, making China the third nation after the United States and Russia to have discovered a lunar mineral, officials reported on Friday. The mineral, called Changesite-(Y), was found in rock and dust samples retrieved from the moon by China’s Chang’e-5 mission, the nation’s first mission to return a lunar sample, which launched in 2020. A research team from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, a subsidiary of the China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191998/chinese-scientists-declare-discovery-new-moon-mineral-lunar-rock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191998/chinese-scientists-declare-discovery-new-moon-mineral-lunar-rock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:30:20 +0000 The water content of soil on one part of the moon appears to be much lower than previously thought, according to Chinese analysis of data from the lunar surface. And a significant part of the water detected in returned samples during lab analysis appears to have come from the interior of the moon, the researchers said in a paper published in the international journal Nature Communications on Tuesday. The team looked at samples and readings collected from the landing site of the Chang’e 5... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3181700/where-did-water-moon-come-chinese-scientists-find-clues-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3181700/where-did-water-moon-come-chinese-scientists-find-clues-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jun 2022 15:01:10 +0000 China plans to hit an asteroid and change its orbit in the next few years in another bold step for the nation’s space programme, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). CNSA vice administrator Wu Yanhua said the country had started building a defence system against near-Earth asteroids that risked hitting the planet. He said China aimed to conduct close observation of a threatening asteroid and “implement an asteroid impact” to change its orbit “at the end of the 14th... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3175362/chinas-next-space-goal-target-dangerous-asteroid-and-nudge-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3175362/chinas-next-space-goal-target-dangerous-asteroid-and-nudge-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2022 12:04:53 +0000 Deep space may be the final frontier, but the outer space between the Earth’s atmosphere and the moon is becoming a junkyard. A disused rocket booster is expected to strike the surface of the far side of the moon early next month. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has claimed it is from the Chang’e 5-T1 mission launched in 2014 as part of China’s lunar exploration programme. However, the Chinese foreign ministry has denied it. It was previously misidentified as a booster... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168015/dangers-space-call-action-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168015/dangers-space-call-action-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:20:48 +0000 China is aiming for major progress in its rocket engine development in the coming year, as it prepares for crewed missions to the moon and other ambitious space missions. Three of the four engines in development are for the next generation super heavy-lift Long March 9 (CZ-9), the rocket at the heart of plans for Chinese astronauts to land on the moon by 2030. The CZ-9 – almost six times more powerful than the Long March 5 (CZ-5) – will also serve future missions to Mars and other interplanetary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3164434/china-space-programme-plans-year-milestones-long-march-9-rocket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3164434/china-space-programme-plans-year-milestones-long-march-9-rocket?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jan 2022 10:00:33 +0000 In 1957, when Russia shocked the world with the launch of its first Sputnik satellite, Mao Zedong is said to have lamented that China could not even get a potato into space. Sixty-five years later, President Xi Jinping’s “space dream” now includes three taikonauts at work in the near-complete space station Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace, orbiting 400km (248 miles) above Earth, and a Chang’e rover launch to explore the dark side of the moon. China has put a Tianwen (Questions to Heaven) rover on... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164182/us-lack-space-cooperation-china-dangerous-and-counterproductive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164182/us-lack-space-cooperation-china-dangerous-and-counterproductive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jan 2022 19:30:14 +0000 China’s Chang’e 5 lunar lander has sent back the first on-site evidence of water on the surface of the moon. The moon had long been thought to be totally dry, but scientists have confirmed the presence of water on its surface just over a decade ago. China’s moon research – ‘bring within reach to Chinese at home’ Until now their findings had been based on orbital observations but the latest study, published in Science Advances on Friday, said the lander had detected signs of water molecules (H2O)... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3162669/chinas-change-5-lunar-probe-finds-first-site-evidence-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3162669/chinas-change-5-lunar-probe-finds-first-site-evidence-water?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jan 2022 14:00:18 +0000 China will set up a research base on the moon by around 2027, eight years earlier than previously scheduled. That is according to Chinese space authorities, who told state media about the new completion target for the unmanned lunar station, which is being jointly built with Russia, on Monday. China’s Chang’e 8 moon landing mission originally aimed to carry out scientific experiments such as 3D printing of lunar dust, which would follow two more launches in the next few years. But Wu Yanhua,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3161324/china-speeds-moon-base-plan-space-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3161324/china-speeds-moon-base-plan-space-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Dec 2021 21:00:23 +0000 A number of Chinese scientists have called for publication in Chinese of research from the Chang’e 5 mission after papers on lunar samples were published in English overseas. Lu Hongbo, a retired professor of geology with the China University of Petroleum in Qingdao, said access to the papers had been limited because they had been released in a language that most people in China did not understand. “Don’t forget there are many young students and earth science fans in China who want to have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3153489/chinas-moon-research-bring-within-reach-chinese-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3153489/chinas-moon-research-bring-within-reach-chinese-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Oct 2021 05:18:26 +0000 Scientists from China and France will carry out research on soil and rocks a Chinese spacecraft brought back from the moon last year, the latest joint effort to analyse the samples. They are the first lunar samples collected in more than four decades and the mission in December was a major step in China’s ambitious space programme, when it became just the third country to do this after the United States and the Soviet Union. Zhou Qi, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3153055/chinese-french-scientists-work-together-lunar-rock-samples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3153055/chinese-french-scientists-work-together-lunar-rock-samples?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Oct 2021 12:40:47 +0000 Chinese researchers are working on a way to extract oxygen from lunar soil that they hope will be used to sustain humans on the moon in the future. A team from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation carried out experiments to do this using a small reactor during a previous lunar mission, which researcher Guo Linli said had “made some progress”. She did not say if it was the Chang’e 5 mission in December. Guo told a space conference in Shenzhen on Monday that there was a need to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3152917/china-working-way-extract-oxygen-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3152917/china-working-way-extract-oxygen-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Oct 2021 04:30:23 +0000 Last year’s Chinese lunar mission brought back the youngest rocks ever found on the moon, international researchers have found. An analysis of the basaltic volcanic rocks collected by the Chang’e-5 probe last December concluded that they had been formed from magma from a volcanic eruption about 2 billion years ago – around a billion years later than the formation of the moon rocks that have previously been analysed. The results confirmed what experts had long predicted based on remotely obtained... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3151516/chinas-change-5-lunar-mission-brought-back-youngest-rock-samples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3151516/chinas-change-5-lunar-mission-brought-back-youngest-rock-samples?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Oct 2021 18:00:22 +0000 China is seven years away from having its new super heavy-lift space rocket ready for crewed lunar landings, according to its developer. The Long March 9 (CZ-9) carrier vehicle will be able to up to 50 tonnes of payload to the moon, or up to 44 tonnes to Mars, Liu Bing, one of its designers from the First Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), said on the sidelines of the Zhuhai Airshow on Wednesday. “The rocket will be able to cover ranges by adjusting the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3150624/countdown-2028-launch-chinas-super-heavy-lift-cz-9-rocket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3150624/countdown-2028-launch-chinas-super-heavy-lift-cz-9-rocket?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Sep 2021 06:00:16 +0000