Two research institutions of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) have again been given lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission. CNNC's China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) received lunar samples obtained by drilling beneath the Moon’s surface and the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG) received samples collected from the Moon's surface.

It's the first time that CNNC has been given sub-surface lunar samples since it began lunar sample research. The work will make new contributions to China's lunar and planetary exploration.

China's Chang'e-5 probe retrieved about 1,731 grams of samples from the Moon on December 17, 2020. The CIAE and the BRIUG received lunar samples and carried out relevant research in 2021.

The CIAE accurately determined the content of more than 40 elements in the lunar samples collected by Chang'e-5 from the Moon's surface in March and published the results in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), one of the most impactful and prestigious journals in chemistry. These observations and discoveries will enrich the understanding of the formation and evolution of the Moon.