Lunar samples, in the future, are expected to be allocated, allocated to domestic and foreign scientific research institutions, for scientific research on the moon, but how to distribute, who to distribute, ultimately up to us, not everyone can obtain, especially this time from the far side of the moon samples, we should be more careful screening, do not meet our needs, may be rejected.
The West has a certain demand for samples of Chang'e-6, especially the good organizations of countries that participated in the sampling of Chang'e-6 on the back of the moon, such as Europe, we have cooperated with them in telemetry, and they have also designed negative ion detectors to carry Chang'e-6 to the moon to confirm the existence of negative ions on the lunar surface. For the distribution of samples, European countries may be able to get a part of it in the future. However, when it comes to samples, the Western media accuse China of being opaque, especially because they believe that the purpose of our space development is not pure.
How to distribute samples, China has the final say
Chang'e-6 took nearly 2 kilograms of samples from the far side of the moon, and according to the scientists involved in the project, when sampling on the far side of the moon, the debris on the surface of the moon appeared more sluggish, a little frosting, and not as easy to take as samples from the far side of the moon. However, in the end, the sampling was successful, and the Chang'e-5 sampler was developed by the university in Hong Kong, and they watched the live broadcast in the academic hall at the time, and this time Chang'e-6 may also be the sampler they developed, and Hong Kong also has astronauts, and a female policeman passed the selection and is expected to go to Beijing for training.
Making the sample request available to the world is also part of the promotion of our international cooperation, as well as the promotion of basic scientific research on the moon, as well as the demonstration of our space prowess, which we did during Chang'e-5, especially during a visit to China, when French President Emmanuel Macron obtained 1.5 grams of lunar dust, both surface and subsurface materials. Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin obtained a 1.5-gram lunar sample during his visit to China, and research teams from Australia, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and other countries collaborated.
However, we have our own process for the application of samples, part of which will be permanently stored for exhibition and public education, and this part will not be open to the public; The other part of the sample is stored as a backup to prevent sample loss or damage, and the remaining sample is distributed to major research institutions for scientific research. International organizations or research institutions can submit sample applications according to the needs of their research topics, which will be reviewed by Chinese scientists, and projects that do not meet the requirements will be eliminated.
Considering the sample loss rate, if the sample loss rate of the institution is too high, such as giving 500 mg, at least 450 mg should be recovered, the sample is very precious, and it is calculated according to the milligram when it is given. If the loss is too high, you may face corresponding penalties, and the next time you apply for a sample, you may be put behind us and not as the first choice. This distribution and management mechanism is designed to maximize the use of samples for scientific research while ensuring the safety and long-term storage of samples.
Chang'e-6 is estimated to be in this mode, in general, if you want samples, you have to do things according to our regulations, if you don't want it, pull it down, don't be silent, don't be jealous and talk nonsense everywhere.
The United States is not qualified to provoke, not because we don't want to cooperate, but because American law does not allow it
At the time of Chang'e-5, NASA Administrator Nelson said that we will not refuse China to provide samples to the United States, and hope that China will open up applications for open data and other nonsense. Our experts said, this thing is a bit difficult to do, it's not that we don't give it, it's that we give it to you and you can't ask for it, your own laws don't allow it. So you have to think about how to remove the barriers to cooperation, instead of us rushing to give you samples.
Friends who follow aerospace may know that this refers to the Wolf Clause, which is an additional clause of US law, the purpose of which is to restrict the development of China's space science and technology and prohibit any form of cooperation between US space agencies, including NASA, and China. Long before this bill, the United States had put obstacles in the way of the construction of the International Space Station, and in the end we were not able to participate. There are many scientific research projects on the International Space Station and many countries involved, and if we can participate in it, it will be helpful for our space scientific research.
However, the United States has made the first year of junior high school, and even if we do not do the 15th year, we will not rush to make any promises to the United States. Regarding the laws of the United States, there is often a bit of "taking the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain", always feeling that others will steal their technology, and always feeling that others want to harm them. During the Trump era, the United States enacted a "One Small Step Legacy in Space Protection Act", which aimed to protect several lunar landing sites of the United States, and unilaterally prohibited other countries from approaching the vicinity of the landing sites and within 12 kilometers above the landing sites, which is tantamount to enclosing them.
The point is that there are quite a few European and American countries that have signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States and accepted the US bill, probably thinking that they will not have the opportunity to land on the moon anyway (at least now it is very unrealistic for Europe to land on the moon), and there are still more than 40 countries in Europe that are ready to participate in the construction of the US lunar gateway space station and the lunar scientific research station, so they are also a little bit of a stumbling with the United States. Before our Chang'e-6 moon landing, the American media also emphasized that they should not go near their Apollo moon landing site.
Western media tend to be skeptical of China's space program, arguing that it may serve other purposes than just space exploration, with some reports arguing that China's space program is closely linked to its military modernization goals. Marc Julienne of the French Institute of International Relations points out that China's space program is not only for national development and international prestige, but also to fill the technological gap with the United States and look for weaknesses in the United States (IFRI).
They like to accuse our space program of lack of transparency, with Reuters reporting that China's space station in Argentina has been called "Reuters" due to its lack of transparency. Jim Green, a former chief scientist at NASA, has said that the United States currently has no plans to exchange lunar samples from the Chang'e-5 and Apollo eras with China because U.S. law has strict restrictions on bilateral cooperation between NASA and Chinese organizations.
Actually, they are a little jealous, as NASA Administrator Nelson once said, he wants China to release some data on Chang'e-5. Well, it really can't be this thing, because the United States will not release the key data in their space program, and what can be released to the world is also something that the United States thinks is not of great value, and it doesn't matter if it is released. Of course, we will distribute samples of the moon, and the results of scientific research will be published, but there are some sensitive and confidential data, and it is difficult for anyone to make them.
How to study the samples of Chang'e-6
The study of lunar samples is nothing more than the analysis of their composition and the information recorded in the material through physical and chemical properties, but the focus of the study of samples outside the earth is the protection of the samples.
The Chang'e-6 sample requires a strict sterile environment and precisely controlled temperature and humidity conditions to avoid the destruction of the original information of the sample. Ensure that samples are handled in a sterile environment to prevent contamination of samples by Earth's microorganisms, maintain the purity of the samples and study their true lunar properties; Samples also need to be stored and processed at low temperatures to avoid the volatilization of gases or other chemical changes in the sample caused by temperature changes, humidity is also an important factor, there is water on the surface of the moon, but it exists in the nature of bound water, and the water vapor in the earth's atmosphere will interfere with the study of the water content of lunar samples.
Considerable amounts of water have been found in Chang'e-5 samples, which are mainly found on the surface of the moon in the form of water-binding water. First of all, water is one of the necessary conditions for the existence and development of life. Water on the Moon provides a critical resource for future lunar exploration and long-term habitation, and astronauts may be able to use these water resources on the Moon in the future to support life and scientific research, reduce dependence on transporting water from Earth, and reduce the cost and risk of space exploration.
Secondly, the discovery of lunar water has also opened up new fields for scientific research, allowing for a deeper understanding of the process of formation and evolution of the moon, exploring the sources and distribution patterns of water in the solar system, and the presence of lunar water has also stimulated the potential for future commercial development. Water resources can not only support scientific research and exploration activities, but also have the potential to become the economic backbone of future lunar bases and deep space exploration.
Extended reading:
In order to obtain 2 kilograms of lunar samples, China launched a rocket with a total weight of several hundred tons and a spacecraft of about 8 tons, which lasted 53 days, and finally landed accurately by semi-ballistic glide jump. This series of actions demonstrates China's great achievements in the control of high-speed vehicles, which are not only crucial in lunar exploration missions, but can also be applied to other fields, such as military and space exploration, which is also unwilling to be seen by European and American countries.
With a total weight of several hundred tons, the Long March 5 rocket used to launch Chang'e-6 is one of China's most powerful rockets, capable of sending heavy spacecraft into Earth-Moon transfer orbit. The spacecraft weighed about 8 tons and carried a variety of scientific instruments and equipment capable of collecting samples from the lunar surface and bringing them back to Earth safely; The semi-ballistic glide return technology is to ensure that the spacecraft can effectively reduce the speed when returning to the earth, reduce the heat caused by atmospheric friction, improve safety and landing accuracy, and can be used for manned space missions, re-entry satellites, and even deep space exploration missions outside the earth's orbit in the future.
As Chang'e-6's re-orbit trajectory began to change orbit over Europe, it attracted the attention of European and American countries, demonstrated our progress in orbit control and re-entry technology, and also reflected the global influence of China's space technology. This high-precision vehicle control capability also raises concerns about other applications, as it can be used for hypersonic weapons and other military vehicles. At present, we have mastered the trajectory of Qian Xuesen and Sanger.