China calls on scientists from all countries to study lunar samples, but sees an obstacle with the US

HUIZHONG WU, Associated Press

16 minutes ago

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the return capsule of the Chang’e 6 probe is seen in Siziwang Banner, northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. China’s Chang’e 6 probe has returned to Earth with rock and soil samples from the little-explored far side of the moon, in a world first. (Bei He/Xinhua via AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese space officials said Thursday they welcomed scientists from around the world to sign up to study the moon rock samples brought back to Earth by the Chang’e 6 probe in a historic mission, but noted that there there were limits to that cooperation. specifically with the United States.

Officials said at a televised news conference in Beijing meant to introduce the results of the mission that any cooperation with the US would be conditional on abolishing a US law banning direct bilateral cooperation with NASA.

“The source of the obstacle in the US-China aerospace cooperation still lies in the Wolf Amendment,” said Bian Zhigang, vice chairman of the China National Space Administration. “If the US really hopes to have regular aerospace cooperation, I think it should take appropriate measures to remove the obstacle.”

Enacted in 2011, the Wolf Amendment prevents direct bilateral cooperation between the US and China, except in cases where the FBI can certify that there is no threat to national security from sharing information with the Chinese side in the course of its work.

Still, China could collaborate with scientists from other countries. It collaborated with the European Space Agency, France, Italy and Pakistan in the Chang’e 6 mission.

“China welcomes scientists from all countries to apply according to procedures and share the benefits,” said Liu Yunfeng, director of the International Cooperation Office of the China National Space Administration.

In the meantime, little information was released about the global first that was achieved on Tuesday. Chinese officials declined to reveal how many samples they had actually collected, nor any preliminary findings.

“I’m afraid this matter won’t be revealed until tomorrow, so I hope everyone can wait patiently for another day,” Chang’e 6 chief designer Hu Hao said at the press conference.

On Monday, Chinese scientists said they expect the returned samples to contain 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rocks and other material that scientists hope will answer questions about the geographic differences on either side of the moon. The mission aimed to collect two kilograms (more than four pounds) of material.

The near side of the moon is what you see from Earth, and the far side faces out into space. The other side is also known to have mountains and impact craters and is much more difficult to reach.

The probe’s journey to the far side of the moon was historic because it was the first time a probe had successfully ascended and brought back samples directly from the far side. Previous samples thought to have come from the far side of the moon came from meteorites found on Earth.

The probe had landed in the moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin, an impact crater that formed more than 4 billion years ago. The samples scientists expect will likely come from different layers of the basin, which will bear traces of the different geological events in the long chronology, such as when the moon was younger and had an active interior that could produce volcanic rocks.

Officials have announced some future plans, with a planned Chang’e 7 probe to explore resources at the moon’s south pole. Moving on, they have Tianwen-3 scheduled for around 2030 to conduct a Mars sample return mission and a Tianwen-4 Jupiter exploration mission.