Chang'e-6 lunar samples have 'distinct characteristics': study

A simulation at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center shows the Chang'e 6 ascender, carrying lunar rock and dust samples, lifting off from the moon's far side on Tuesday morning. JIN LIWANG/XINHUA/CHINA DAILY BEIJING - A Chinese team of scientists on Tuesday published the first research paper on the lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e-6 mission, saying that the Chang'e-6 samples exhibit "distinct characteristics" compared to previously obtained lunar samples. The team found that the Chang'e-6 soil samples have a lower density than previous samples, indicating a more porous and loosely structured composition. Geochemical analysis of the Chang'e-6 lunar samples has shown that their concentration of trace elements such as thorium, uranium and potassium is markedly different from the samples retrieved by the Apollo missions and the Chang'e-5 mission.