Moon Dust 'rarer Than Gold' Arrives In Uk From China

The first samples of Moon stone brought backmost to Earth successful astir 50 years person arrived successful nan UK - connected indebtedness from China.

The mini grains of particulate are now locked wrong a safe successful a precocious information installation successful Milton Keynes - we were fixed nan first look astatine them.

Professor Mahesh Anand is nan only intelligence successful nan UK to person been loaned this highly uncommon material, which he describes arsenic "more precious than golden dust".

"Nobody successful nan world had entree to China's samples, truthful this is simply a awesome honour and a immense privilege," he says.

After grinding and zapping nan particulate pinch lasers, Prof Anand's squad dream to reply basal questions astir really nan Moon formed and astir nan early years of satellite Earth.

Inside nan grains of particulate could beryllium grounds to backmost up scientists' mentation that nan Moon was made from nan debris thrown retired erstwhile Earth struck a Mars-sized satellite 4.5 cardinal years ago.

China collected nan rocks connected its Chang'e 5 abstraction ngo successful 2020 erstwhile it landed connected a volcanic area called Mons Rümker.

A robotic limb drilled into nan ungraded to cod 2kg of material, which was brought backmost to Earth successful a capsule which landed successful Inner Mongolia.

It was nan first successful lunar sampling since a Soviet ngo successful 1976 and catapulted China into a starring position successful nan caller abstraction race.

Now, pursuing a agelong contented of world collaboration betwixt abstraction scientists, China has for nan first clip granted 7 world researchers samples to make caller discoveries.

The mini vials were handed to Prof Anand astatine a glamorous ceremonial successful Beijing past week, wherever he met colleagues from Russia, Japan, Pakistan and Europe.

"It was almost for illustration a parallel beingness - and China is truthful acold up of america successful position of their finance successful abstraction programmes," he said.

He returned to nan UK pinch nan precious cargo successful nan safest spot he could deliberation of - his manus luggage.

At his laboratory astatine nan Open University successful Milton Keynes, we measurement onto sticky mats to cleanable our shoes and put connected integrative gloves, gowns, hairsbreadth nets and hoods.

The situation wrong this precocious information room must beryllium spotless to forestall contamination.

If Earthly worldly mixes pinch these extra-terrestrial specs, it could permanently ruin nan study Prof Anand's squad will do.

We crouch down connected nan level successful beforehand of a statement of safes. Prof Anand unlocks 1 and cautiously pulls retired a ziplock container pinch 3 containers nan size of boxes that could support a necklace.

Wedged firmly successful each 1 is simply a see-through vial pinch a dusting of acheronian grey astatine nan bottom.

That is nan Moon dust.

It looks underwhelming, but it is humbling to deliberation of its cosmic journey.

And Prof Anand says they don't request immoderate much than this 60mg successful total.

"Here, nan mini is mighty. Believe me, it is capable to support america engaged for years to travel because we specialise successful moving connected nan micro," he adds.

In a laboratory down nan corridor, technician Kay Knight will beryllium nan first personification to really activity connected nan grains erstwhile nan vials are opened.

She's been cutting and grindings pieces of rocks for 36 years, but this will beryllium nan first clip she's worked connected thing consecutive from nan lunar surface.

"I'm highly excited," she says, aft showing america really she cuts meteorites utilizing a gem blade.

"But I'm tense - there's not overmuch of nan samples and they can't really spell and get much very easily. This is precocious stakes," she adds.

After she prepares nan samples, they will spell into 2 much labs.

In one, we spot a instrumentality pinch an intricate web of countless tubes, valves and wires.

Technician Sasha Verchovskyhas been building it since nan early 1990s. He shows america nan mini cylinder wherever nan specs of particulate tin beryllium heated to 1400 Celsius. That will thief them extract carbon, nitrogen and nobel gases.

This is wholly unique, and is 1 of nan reasons Prof Anand believes his laboratory was chosen to person nan uncommon samples.

James Malley, a investigation technician, operates a instrumentality that tin activity retired really overmuch oxygen is contained wrong nan specs of dust.

He shows america a trial tally of what he will do.

"I'm going to deed that atom connected nan tray pinch a laser," he says, showing nan segment magnified connected a machine screen.

"It's going to commencement to glow, and you will spot it melt inwards," he says.

The squad has a twelvemonth to decorativeness their research. By nan end, their hunt for answers will astir apt extremity up destroying nan samples.

But China has gone further since nan Chang'e 5 mission.

In 2024 its Chang'e 6 motorboat brought backmost nan first samples from nan acold broadside of nan Moon. It's a profoundly mysterious spot that mightiness person grounds of long-quiet volcanic lava flows.

"I very overmuch dream that this is nan opening of a semipermanent collaboration betwixt China and world scientists," says Prof Anand.

"A batch of america built our careers moving connected samples returned by Apollo missions, and I deliberation this is simply a awesome contented to follow. I dream that different countries will travel suit," he adds.