China's lunar soil is so special that NASA wants a copy of it too. NASA submitted an application to Congress to obtain lunar soil samples collected by Chang'e-5. Why does NASA want Chinese lunar soil?It turned out that China's lunar soil was distinctive. First of all, Chang'e-5 is located on a plain near the Moon's North Pole "Storm Ocean", about 1,000 kilometers away from the U.S. landing site, so the soil collected by both sides is very different.
China's lunar soil contains more than six times more titanium than the Earth's soil, twice as much as the Apollo 12 sample and three times as much as the Apollo 14 sample in the United States. Second, Chang'e-5 landed close to the moon's youngest volcano, and this part of the soil data will also be useful for the United States to study the laws and changes of soil formation on the moon in recent years. After China brought back the lunar soil, it generously gave it to France, Russia and other countries, but not to the United States.
This means that in the latest study of lunar soil, the United States has fallen behind. Although the United States has generously sent Chinese lunar soil, NASA now wants Chinese lunar soil, but now it needs to overcome political restrictions, because the US Congress passed the Wolf Amendment in 2011, which prohibits NASA from conducting any joint scientific research activities with China.
In the application, NASA must convince Congress and the FBI that engagement and cooperation with the Chinese "do not create a risk that technology, data, or other information related to national or economic security could be transferred to China or Chinese companies." Even if China "reciprocates" by giving NASA Chang'e-5 the lunar soil it brings, will China agree if NASA continues to adhere to the ban and does not carry out any space scientific research cooperation with China?
Even if China agrees, NASA will inevitably ask China for lunar soil samples collected by Chang'e-6 in 2024. Science is endless, space exploration requires international exchanges and cooperation, and the boundless sky should also be the common wealth of mankind.