NASA Can’t Access ‘Priceless’ Moon Samples From China’s Chang’E-5 Mission - Here’s Why

USA-China relations have been dominating headlines worldwide. Another aspect of it recently came out in the field of space exploration. China's breakthrough moon mission, Chang'e 5, has led to several international collaborations for the elusive lunar samples, stated Live Science. However, a link-up between NASA and Chinese authorities seems not to be on the cards.

Though many may think it could be because of the recent tensions, the issue here dates back to 2011. A law named the Wolf Amendment was passed that year, which prevents collaboration between the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and NASA. The agreement is also binding on the Chinese and American scientists, sponsored by their respective institutions. The objective was to prevent China from gaining insights about American space technology.

The law has hindered China's space aspirations for a long time, stated China Daily. In the past, CNSA scientists were denied access to the only lunar soil sample in the world because of the U.S. monopoly on it. They have also not been able to take advantage of the International Space Station for their research operations. The country has still managed to make meaningful strides in its space pursuit, a symbol of which is the Chang'e mission.

The Chang’e-5 mission has collected 1,731 grams of material from Oceanus Procellarum, a geologically young region on the near side of the moon, according to Space News. The samples arrived in late 2020 and were soon made available to Chinese institutions and researchers.

In August 2023, CNSA announced that international applications for the samples will be accepted. NASA, in November of the same year, announced that their researchers would also apply, while at the same time, they would be following the Wolf Amendment. Though the law does limit any kind of collaboration between CNSA and NASA, it does mention that if a partnership is needed, then a written request should be submitted to Congress. If Congress agrees to the request and, after the FBI provides the appropriate certification, the link-up can be pursued. At present, there is no update on whether the application has been submitted or not.

Though NASA may or may not be able to access the samples, an American scientist will examine them, stated Live Science. Timothy Glotch, a planetary scientist working at Stony Brook University in New York, and his team have received a sample from the Chang'e 5 mission. Though American, his application was accepted because he was not sponsored by NASA; instead, his project was funded by Stony Brook University. Therefore, the collaboration did not go against the principles of the Wolf Amendment.

The link-up would be beneficial for lunar exploration as a whole because a direct comparison could be made between the evidence brought by the Chang'e 5 mission and  Apollo-era lunar samples, which are in U.S. custody. Glotch plans to focus on the thermal properties of the sample. He wants to heat the sample and compare it with the available thermal maps of the moon. This will possibly help him to gain insights about the composition of different lunar regions, based on how they heat up and cool down against the sunlight.