China and France Successfully Measure Radon and Polonium on Moon with Chang'e-6 Lunar Probe

China and France Successfully Measure Radon and Polonium on Moon with Chang'e-6 Lunar Probe
Image credit: China Daily 

A collaborative mission by Chinese and French researchers has successfully measured the distribution of radon gas and polonium on the moon using the French payload aboard China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe, according to the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The payload, named Detection of Outgassing RadoN (DORN), can measure radon gas, its decay products, and charged particles in the lunar environment. 

The mission's scientific objectives included studying the origin and dynamics of the lunar atmosphere, the thermal and physical properties of lunar soil, and the movement of lunar surface dust. He Huaiyu, co-chief scientist of DORN from IGG, noted that the Chang'e-6 radon-gas detector was exposed to Earth's atmosphere for several months before launch. It was first activated on May 6 during the lunar-orbit cruise period, working for about 10 hours to measure background noise and natural pollution on the lunar surface.

Following historic solar storms on May 10 and 11, the instrument was powered on again on May 17 for 32 hours, confirming all 16 detectors were functioning properly. The data collected helped the team observe the lunar shielding effect on particle fluxes. DORN was restarted on May 23 for 111 hours to conduct orbital measurements of radon and polonium distribution on the moon.

On June 2, after Chang'e-6 landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the radon-gas detector began surface measurements. The detector completed its mission and became a permanent resident on the moon's far side when the ascender took off with samples on June 4. This mission marks the first collaboration between China and France in deep-space exploration.

China's Chang'e-6 spacecraft was launched on May 3, carrying international payloads from the European Space Agency, France, Italy, and Pakistan. The upcoming Chang'e-7 mission will carry six international scientific instruments, and Chang'e-8 will offer 200 kilograms of international payload capacity, with over 30 applications received, said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the China National Space Administration's international cooperation department on June 27.