China has begun to distribute to researchers around the world extremely valuable samples brought from the Moon in 2020 by the Chang’E mission. Only NASA does not have access to them.
A China mission brought in 2020mosts from the Moon. Photo: National Astronomical Observatory, CAS
The precious samples brought from the Moon by the Chinese mission Chang’e 5 in 2020 began to be distributed to researchers around the world, except those from NASA, whose collaboration with China is limited by a law from 2011. Notes Space.com.
Earlier this month, the British geologist Mahesh Anand from Open University obtained 60 milligrams out of the 1,731 grams of samples brought by Chang’e 5. Researchers from other European countries, but also from Ethiopia, Russia and the United States received samples for analysis.
What American legislation says
In all cases where scientists have received samples from the Moon, the financing of the research is provided by the national governments. But in the US, NASA cannot financially support any study involving collaboration with China, because of a 2011 law known as the Wolf amendment. This forbids the US Space Agency any direct collaboration with the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) or with affiliated scientists.
Therefore, the only American researcher who obtained a sample from Chang’e 5 is Timothy Glotch, from Stony Brook University in New York, which was supported exclusively by his university, without federal funds.
The Wolf amendment, initiated by the Republican Congressman Frank Wolf, was designed to prevent possible space technology transfers with military applications to China, although it conflicts with the spirit of international collaboration that has defined space exploration throughout decades, even in tense periods such as the Cold War.
In the 1970s, for example, projects like Seti or Apollo-Soyuz mission brought together American and Soviet researchers, despite geopolitical rivalry. Currently, such a collaboration between the US and China is impossible without the explicit approval of the American Congress.
Direct comparisons with the evidence brought by the Apollo missions
In this context, China gave a sample to Timothy Glotch’s team, which also includes specialists from San Francisco State University and University of Hong Kong, as long as funding does not involve NASA.
Access to these samples is essential because direct comparisons can be made with the evidence brought by the Apollo missions, using the same laboratory equipment. Timothy Glotch and his laboratory colleagues will analyze the thermal properties of the monthly material, which will most likely be consumed during the experiment.
The sample of the moon obtained from China comes from Mons Rümker, an old volcanic region located in Oceanus Procellum (“The Ocean of Storms”) and American researchers hope to understand the evolution of monthly volcanism, by comparing it with the samples brought by the Apollo missions.
The preliminary studies conducted by the Chinese teams have already shown that the basaltic samples brought by Chang’e 5 are billions younger than those brought by Apollo, which, they say, indicates a recent volcanic activity, maybe even 120 million years ago.
