China says to share part of lunar samples with scientists from other countries

[December 29, 2020]    BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to share data and samples that the Chang'e 5 probe obtained during its recent mission to the moon, based on international cooperation conventions, said the deputy head of the country's space agency on Thursday.

Researchers work around Chang'e-5 lunar return capsule carrying moon samples next to a Chinese national flag, after it landed in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, December 17, 2020. China Daily via REUTERS

The lunar samples will be mainly used for scientific research, Wu Yanhua, deputy head of the China National Space Administration, told a press briefing.

(Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.