US EditionChinese Scientists Solve Mystery of Moon's Sticky Soil
The Chang'e-6 soil's cohesion is due to fine particle size below 50 micrometers and combined friction, Van der Waals, and electrostatic forces, scientists reported.
- Researchers in China reported that the Chinese research team, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences explained why Chang'e-6 lunar soil from the South Pole–Aitken Basin is unusually sticky.
- Particle shapes explain that the fine size and less spherical particles in far-side soil, with D60 near 8 μm, amplify interparticle forces, researchers said.
- Using CT scans and lab flow tests, the team imaged more than ~290,000 particles with high-resolution CT scanning and measured flow using fixed-funnel and drum experiments while compositional analysis results excluded magnetic and clay causes.
- Engineering teams gain insights from Chang'e-6 returned material, which will inform lunar base construction and in‑situ resource utilization planning.
- Published results place the analysis in Nature Astronomy, led by the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China Academy of Space Technology, and researchers propose fractured feldspar and space weathering as key causes.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Modeling the Fight Between Charged Lunar Dust and Spacecraft Coatings
Understanding how exactly lunar dust sticks to surfaces is going to be important once we start having a long-term sustainable presence on the Moon. Dust on the Moon is notoriously sticky and damaging to equipment, as well as being hazardous to astronaut’s health. While there has been plenty of studies into lunar dust and its implications, we still lack a model that can effectively describe the precise physical mechanisms the dust uses to adhere …
Researchers discover latitude- and regolith-dependent distribution of lunar surface water
A research team from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) has found that lunar soil samples brought back by China's Chang'e-6 mission (collected from the lunar farside) contain high concentrations of OH/H2O and low deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) ratios. These characteristics align with lunar water originating from the solar wind, the team noted.
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