China's Chang'e-5 Mission Finds Mineral on the Moon That Could be Used for Nuclear Fusion

Lunar samples gathered by China's Chang'e-5 mission have aided scientists in their understanding of lunar volcanic activity and the moon's thermal development.

A study team from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, a division of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), discovered a mineral named Changesite-(Y) among lunar rock and dust samples collected by China's Chang'e-5 mission.

According to a report from the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, the vice head of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), revealed the new mineral's name.

This makes China the third country to find a new mineral on the moon, just next to Russia and the United States. 

China Finds New Mineral on Moon

The South China Morning Post's story said that CNNC conducted several tests to determine the new lunar element.

From the roughly 140,000 lunar particles that the Chang'e-5 returned, the Chinese scientific agency could extract one solitary crystalline mineral particle.

They used X-ray diffraction and other high-tech techniques to do this.

The International Mineralogical Association's CNMNC (Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature, and Classification) verified that this mineral has not yet been cataloged.

The novel Changesite-(Y) has a diameter of around 10 microns, making it roughly one-tenth the size of a human hair.

This lunar mineral, which is present in lunar basalts, is a phosphate element.

(Photo: Stijn Dijkstra / EyeEm | Getty Images)
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Mineralogy Research Breakthrough

A CNNC party official named Wang Xuejun expressed his enthusiasm for China's recent moon mineral finding.

He asserted that the moon element represents a significant advance in mineralogy study.

He continued by saying that the most recent Changesite-(Y) offered crucial new evidence in favor of deep space exploration and the development of the moon.

According to Interesting Engineering, it is the sixth brand-new lunar mineral found on the moon.

These components contributed to a better knowledge of the moon's formation among several space agencies and other organizations.

Baotong noted the major scientific achievement China has created in space science.

"It is also a powerful exploration of cross-industry and cross-professional cooperation between nuclear and aerospace," he added per Interesting Engineering.

Key Ingredients for Nuclear Fusion

Scientists have been trying to figure out how to produce endless energy for a long time. One approach that researchers have been exploring to harness unlimited energy efficiently is nuclear fusion.

 Finding key constituents in these Moon crystals is significant because it may one day make it easier for humans to employ those components.

BGR said Helium-3, one of the main components of the Moon crystal, is thought by scientists to have the potential to serve as a stable fuel source for nuclear fusion reactors.

However, Vice claims this chemical is extremely hard to get on Earth. However, because it appears so common on the Moon, capturing it from the lunar surface may increase the viability of nuclear fusion reactors for future power generation.

Of course, getting it from these Moon crystals to the Earth still has to be done, especially in the quantities required to power fusion reactors.

However, suppose technology turns out to be as widely accessible as scientists anticipate.

In that case, nuclear fusion may experience some advances in the future. This would enable us to shut down dangerous fossil fuel power reactors, contributing to the ongoing issues with climate change.

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