Studies on moon rock in China include analysis of fusion energy, volcanic history.

Several science institutions in China are now studying rocks collected from the moon by the Chang'e 5 mission for research that includes evaluating the material as a potential fusion power source.

The Chang'e 5 mission delivered 3.82lb. (1.73 kg) of solar material on Earth in December. The first batch of 31 samples, totaling 0.616 ounces (17.4764 grams), including refined grains, basalt fragments, and glasses, were distributed to 13 Chinese institutions in July following the first round of applications.

The Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology is studying a 50-milligram sample of moon rocks for an isotope called helium-3. Helium-3 has been advanced as a potential fuel for future fusion nuclear power plants. While extremely rare on Earth, helium-3 is thought to be more abundant on the moon. The solar wind delivers the isotope into the unprotected lunar surface, a constant stream of material flowing off the sun and across the solar system.

The institute is using equipment specially designed to determine the content of helium. At the same time, the container will also heat the sample and gradually raise the temperature of the pieces until it gets to about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius).

"The main objective of the study is to determine the content of helium-3 in the lunar soil, the extraction parameters of helium-3, which indicates at what temperature we can extract the helium, and how helium-3 gets attached to the lunar soil. Therefore, we will conduct a systematic study on these aspects," Huang Zhixin, a researcher in the Science and Technology Department of the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, told CCTV in late August.

However, the idea of mining lunar helium-3 for energy on Earth may be a distant prospect at best, says Ian Crawford, professor of planetary science and astrobiology at Birkbeck, University of London. Crawford told Space.com that the enormous investment and infrastructure necessary for the mining, extraction, and transportation of lunar helium-3 means that cheaper and renewable terrestrial energy sources will probably be preferable.

"However, taking new measurements of helium-3 concentrations at new places on the Moon is scientifically sound," said Mr. Crawford.

Several groups and companies are looking to produce electricity from fusion energy, but technological and engineering barriers remain. The proposed fusion reactors mainly choose hydrogen isotopes known as deuterium and tritium, abundant on Earth, as fuel sources.

At the same time, the institute is also studying the samples for the possible presence of the radioactive uranium element.

"The research is not only of great value for the potential exploitation of such nuclear energy resources on the moon in the future but also of great significance for the scientific study of the moon itself and its relationship with the Earth," Li Ziying, head of the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, said.

Samples from coast to coast shed light on a wide range of scientific studies. Elsewhere, Li Xianhua, a professor of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS), has studied the geochemical isotope characteristics of samples to determine the age of the rocks. The research could provide new information about when the last volcanic activity occurred on the Moon, thus providing further details about the history of our celestial neighbor.

Li Chunlai, Associate Chief Designer of the Lunar Sampling Phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Project, said the moon could fill gaps in the Earth's geological history. Because Earth is an active planet, there is a little archive of her ancient times. "The recordings of the moon are quite old, so studying its evolution can complete the story of Earth's evolution,' Li told CCTV.

Articles based on sample analysis have been widely reviewed, including articles on water content and the age of samples.

The second set of Chang'e 5 samples is now open for applications, the Chinese Lunar Exploration Project announced in July. China plans to launch Chang'e 6 to take the Lunar South Pole samples in 2024, providing new samples.