NASA opens door to cooperation with China on Moon rock research

In what could become a rare case of U.S.-Chinese cooperation on space research, NASA is urging scientists it funds to apply to China’s space agency for access to the 1.7 kilograms of lunar soil and rock returned to Earth in 2020 by the Chang’e 5 mission. Such research collaborations are barred by a long-standing U.S. law that forbids the use of NASA funds for projects with China or Chinese-owned companies—unless NASA certifies to Congress that there is no risk of transferring technology or data to China and that the studies don’t include Chinese officials involved in human rights violations. Last week, NASA sent an email to planetary scientists stating it had provided Congress with such a certification and that agency-funded researchers could apply to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to use Chang’e 5 samples for research. Analyzing the samples could lead to new scientific insights into the geological history of the Moon and potentially inform NASA’s future lunar exploration plans, the agency suggested. The NASA move “is huge,” says Clive Neal, a lunar scientist at the University of Notre Dame. He says U.S. researchers started lobbying NASA officials to explore the possibility of gaining access to the samples soon after the Chang’e 5 sample return capsule touched down. There’s no guarantee CNSA will approve any U.S. proposals, which will be selected from among other international applications by an expert committee. But...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news