09 September 2022
Leonard David looks into the reports about the discovery of a new lunar mineral by Chinese scientists at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology. The mineral was identified from Chang’e-5 samples. It was named "Chang’esite-(Y)" and is a phosphate, formed as column-shaped crystal, found in lunar basalt grains. It is ultra-tiny with a size no more than 10 microns. Chang’esite-(Y) has been officially approved as a new mineral by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association.
MORE on Leonard's website Inside Outer Space...

07 September 2022
The SZ-14 crew talked to students from 8 African countries on 6 September via video link. They spoke about their mission experience and gave insights into their life and scientific work on the Station. The main event took place at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, while students from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa joined the dialogue online from remote locations.
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Chinese taikonauts talk with Tanzanian students from space

09 September 2022
A ceremony on 09 September in Beijing was the start of a school project themed "Growing Plants Together with Astronauts". 30 schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan and other regions were connected and watched a video, where SZ-14 taikonaut Chen Dong explained how he planted Arabidopsis and rice seeds in the growth chamber of the life science rack of the Wentian module on 29 July. The seeds have germinated and are now in good condition. Students will also plant Arabidopsis and rice seeds on the ground and observe their growing progress until 30 October. On hand of the educational lessons "Caring for Space Plants" and "Hand-painted Plants" shown via livestream platforms, experts will explain the planting unit, interpret the physical and engineering knowledge of growing plants in the space station, and show the planting progress in the space station and students' planting achievements.
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10 September 2022
China’s Moon exploration plans are moving ahead smoothly, reports Leonard David on his website Inside Outer Space. He writes that Liu Jizhong, Director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Programme Center under China National Space Administration (CNSA), told media about the mission assignment for the Chang’e-6 probe. As a backup of the Chang’e-5 mission, CE-6 will endeavor to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon and return them to the Earth.
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