In a recent international collaboration, scientists from China and France have successfully completed a study to analyze the discovery of lunar polonium and radon gas. This project was carried out using a French device aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe, revealed the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Technology detected lunar radon gas
This device, known as Detection of Outgassing RadoN(DORN), was designed to detect radon and its decay byproducts, as well as to measure charged particles in the space environment. The mission objectives range from the study of the lunar atmosphere and its dynamics, to the thermal and physical characteristics of the soil, including the movement of lunar dust.
The device was activated on May 6 during the probe’s transit through lunar orbit, coming within 200,000 miles of Earth. For approximately 10 hours, the team measured background noise and natural contamination of the space. Subsequently, after the solar storms in May, DORN was again activated on May 17, making continuous measurements for 32 hours.
On June 2, after Chang’e-6 landed in the Aitken region of the lunar south pole, the device began collecting data directly from the lunar surface. This study lasted until June 4, at which time the probe completed its sample collection mission and left the device as a permanent fixture on the far side of the Moon.
The Chang’e-6 mission, launched on May 3, carried payloads from China and France, and also included instruments from the European Space Agency, Italy and Pakistan, enhancing international cooperation in space exploration.
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Source: China Aerospace Science and Techonolgy Corporation
Photo: Shutterstock
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