China discovers two new minerals on the moon

Chinese scientists have identified two new minerals in lunar samples collected from the moon, Chinese media reported. The discovery was announced at the opening ceremony of the 11th China Space Day in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. The phosphate minerals, found in rock and soil samples brought back by the Chang’e-5 probe, have been named magnesiochangesite-(Y) and changesite-(Ce). Both belong to the rare-earth phosphate category and have been classified and approved by the International Mineralogical Association’s Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification.

Significance of the discovery

The finding adds to the growing body of knowledge about lunar geology and resource potential. Rare-earth elements are critical for high-tech industries, including electronics, renewable energy systems, and defense applications. While the practical extraction of these newly discovered minerals from the moon remains far in the future, their identification demonstrates China’s growing capabilities in space exploration and planetary science. The Chang’e-5 mission, launched in 2020, was China’s first lunar sample-return mission and collected about 1.7 kilograms of material from the Oceanus Procellarum region.