‘This goes beyond a display of technological soft power’: China’s new moon map signals bold space ambitions (…

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Chinese researchers have presented a new map of the Moon, updating a previous edition based on new scientific findings and recalibrating the Moon’s ancient geological ages.

Comprehensive map of the moonIt was unveiled at a scale of 1:5 million by the Institute of Geology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (IGCAGS) on August 6. The map is an update for the 2024 edition and introduces new boundaries for the Aetkenian, Nectarian, and Embrian Paleolunar periods. (Researchers use the term Aitkian, while the term pre-nectarian is often used to describe the lunar geological period from about 4.5 billion to 3.9 billion years ago.)

The map also uses reprocessed spectral data to update areas Terrain creepwhich are characterized by crustal materials rich in potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE), and phosphorus (P), and turned out to be more persistent and abundant than previously estimated.

“Lunar geological history has indeed been rewritten — more precisely, revised and systematized,” the state-run newspaper reported. Xinhua quoted Yang Qiming as sayingAccording to what the IGCAGS Director said.

All of the United States, through Apollo missions, and the Soviet Union delivered samples from the Moon to Earth more than 50 years ago, contributing significantly to shaping research and understanding of the Moon. China’s own robotic sample return missions, Zhang 5 and Zhang 6which were launched in 2020 and 2024 respectively, presented new material and new insights.

Chang’e 6 was the first sample return mission to space Far side of the moon. Chinese researchers say the returned material will provide a new starting point for scientific discussions about the nature of the moon’s hemisphere, which is hidden from view on Earth.

The map provides a “special standard for cartography,” according to Xinhua News Agency, amid a broader initiative led by the Chinese government to influence global standards. In terms of space, aspects of the map such as the color scheme, geological logic and the aesthetic principle of “lighter for the young, darker for the old” will be applied more widely as China looks to expand its exploration beyond the moon and into space. The outer solar system.

“This goes beyond a display of technological soft power. This standard will extend to future planetary geological mapping, and the establishment of an independent intellectual property framework for China’s deep space exploration,” Yang said.

Both China and the United States have interests in setting standards as humanity renews its interest in lunar exploration. While on Earth, everyone agrees on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the two countries currently We disagree about what time it is on the moonClocks run faster due to weaker gravity. This indicates that the competition for leadership in space will not only be through tasks and priorities, but also through the technical standards that are followed, as China’s new map plays a role in these efforts.