China has just discovered a hydrated mineral containing molecular water in the lunar soil brought to Earth by their Chang’e-5 mission in 2020. 40% of the mineral sample is water molecules, scientists say.
Water found on the Moon
Recent discoveries bear the fruit of humanity’s endless pursuit of searching for water on any celestial object, like the moon. China just announced that their scientists have found water molecules in lunar soil. According to a Tuesday report by the Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post (SCMP), the lunar soil sample brought to earth by the Chang’e-5 mission in 2020, when analyzed by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences was found to contain traces of water in samples of the Moon’s soil.
Moon Findings
Chang’e-5 was the fifth lunar exploration mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program of CNSA. It also marked China’s first lunar sample-return mission. It set out to the moon on 23rd November 2020 and landed on the soil of the moon on 1st December 2020. The lunar probe collected nearly 4 pounds of the near-side lunar regolith and sent it to Earth on 16th December 2020. The Chinese scientists started researching on the lunar soil trying to find traces of sustainable elements in the soil. In June of 2024, scientists discovered Graphene- a form of pure carbon, samples collected four years ago by the Chang’e-5 mission. This too was a big discovery as it challenged the assumption regarding the moon’s origin.
Water on Moon
This recent discovery disputes the long-held belief that water could only possibly be found towards the moon’s south pole, where the sunlight doesn’t reach. This turn of events revealed that traces of water could be present from a much higher latitude of the moon. The unidentified mineral crystal containing water and ammonia molecules is named ULM-1(unknown lunar mineral) by scientists. According to the researchers, water molecules can persist in sunlit areas of the Moon as hydrated salts. 40% of the mineral sample is water molecules by mass, which rules out the possibility of it being contaminated by rocket exhaust.
Lunar Findings
We will probably be looking at more lunar discoveries from China in the future as their Chang’e-6 mission has collected lunar soil samples from the far side of the moon. The sample was sent to Earth in a service module that entered the earth’s atmosphere on 25 June 2024 and landed in Inner Mongolia by a parachute. This discovery not only created a new path for scientific inquiry but also opened the door for innumerable possibilities of utilizing lunar resources in the future.
In the list of 21st century’s lunar discoveries, India’s Chandrayaan-1 played a crucial role in the discovery of water molecules on the Moon in the form of oxygen and hydrogen molecules. Chandrayaan-1 dismantled the popular belief that moon water didn’t exist. India’s Chandrayaan-3 made history last year by becoming the first to land and collect samples from near the lunar south pole.
