According to the Reuters news agency, NASA representatives are negotiating with Chinese colleagues about the conditions for obtaining soil samples from the far side of the Moon. In July 2024, China’s Chang’e-6 probe returned to Earth for the first time samples collected on the far side of the satellite. Strained relations between China and the United States prevented the direct request and transfer of soil to scientists from another country, but hope remains.
Removing lunar soil from the return module. Image source: Xinhua
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the negotiations to Reuters. “A month or two” ago, Nelson responded to Congress on this issue, where he stated that negotiations and obtaining samples from the Chinese side would not threaten US national interests.
The so-called Wolf Amendment prohibits American scientists and institutions from collaborating with China without special permission from the FBI. The NASA administrator expects the FBI to license the agency to obtain lunar soil samples from China. He highly appreciates the likelihood that unique lunar soil will be obtained by American scientists. True, it is still unknown what the Chinese will ask in return. Some US officials fear that strengthening cooperation between NASA and its Chinese partners will ease pressure on China.
According to Nelson, four American institutes have already applied to obtain samples from the far side of the Moon. Ultimately, it is unlikely that China will prohibit the study of unique samples by American scientists in European institutions, who will receive them without any problems, about which there is already a corresponding agreement and priority.