In a move that comes as the two nations continue to be at odds with one another over their trade agreements, China will allow scientists from six different nations, including the US, to observe the mountains it collected from the Moon.
The China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) announced on Thursday that two US institutions that are funded by the agency have been granted access to the lunar samples that the Chang ‘e-5 mission will sample in 2020.
According to local media, CNSA key Shan Zhongde described the tests as” a shared treasure for all humanity.”
Due to restrictions placed on the area agency’s cooperation with China by US lawmakers, Chinese researchers were unable to get the space agency’s Moon samples.
In accordance with the 2011 laws, Nasa is prohibited from working with China or any other Chinese-owned companies unless it has been exclusively authorized by Congress.
However, John Logsdon, the former chairman of the George Washington University Space Policy Institute, claimed that the most recent change of Moon rocks has “very little to do with politicians.”
Although there are restrictions on space systems, he claimed that the evaluation of lunar samples had “nothing of military significance.”
It’s global participation in research that is the norm, they say.
Beijing has responded with 125 % tariffs on US goods while Washington has imposed tariffs on Chinese goods that go up to 245 %.
US President Donald Trump recently made an appearance at a de-escalation of the trade conflict, but Beijing has denied that there were any negotiations between the two parties.
Applications for study of Chang ‘e-5 moon samples were made available by the CNSA in 2023.
The Chang ‘e-5 Moon samples appear to be billion years younger than those taken from Apollo missions, according to Dr. Logsdon. It therefore suggests that the sun was more recently active than previously thought.
Apparently, place representatives from the US and China had tried to reach an agreement last year regarding an change of sky tests, but it seems like this did not materialize.
The various winning requests, aside from Brown University and Stony Brook University in the US, came from corporations in France, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, and the UK.
According to Shan from the CNSA, the organization will “maintain an extremely effective and available position” in global room exchange and cooperation, including along the Belt and Road Initiative’s space information corridor.
He said,” I think China’s space friendship network will grow even more.”