China Shares Moon Rocks With US

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China is letting US scientists analyze precious moon rocks from its lunar missions, despite ongoing political tensions between the two space powers.

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Two NASA-funded institutions - Brown University and SUNY Stony Brook - are among seven global research centers granted access to China's lunar treasures.

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China joined an exclusive club in 2020 when its Chang'e-5 mission successfully brought back moon rocks, a feat only the US and Soviet Union had achieved before.

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China made history as the first nation to retrieve samples from the mysterious far side of the moon with its Chang'e-6 mission last year.

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These rare moon samples could answer major questions about lunar formation, volcanic activity, and potential resources on our celestial neighbor.

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The exchange happens despite the Wolf Amendment, a 2011 US law that restricts NASA from working directly with China's space program without special approval.

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"The United States is quite closed off now despite being open in the past, while we were closed off in the past and are now open," notes Wu Wieren, chief designer of China's lunar program.

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For the moon rocks to actually reach American labs, NASA must still secure FBI certification that the exchange poses no national security risks.

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China continues expanding international influence in space, with its upcoming Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 missions set to carry multiple scientific instruments from various countries.

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