Two new minerals have been identified by researchers analysing moon soil samples collected by the Chang’e 5 mission.

Queqiao-2 communication relay satellite arrived 440km above the moon’s surface early on Monday, says CNSA; state media says ‘work is under way to address’ DRO-A/B satellites that failed to reach their designated altitude after March 13 launch.

Soil samples brought to Earth by Chinese moon mission show unique mineral was likely produced in Aristarchus crater and ejected northward to sample site.

Queqiao-2 lifted off atop a Long March 8 rocket at 8.31am on Wednesday, along with smaller satellites Tiandu-1 and 2 that will orbit the moon to test and verify navigation and communications technologies.

‘The satellites have not been inserted into their designated orbit, and work is under way to address this problem,’ Chinese state media says.

Chinese aerospace agencies outline how 600 million-camera Skynet inspires system to watch assets at lunar research station and track foreign visitors arriving on and leaving the moon.

It may be a good idea to test out propulsion and lander technologies first in space, author and space policy expert at Arizona State University says.

Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines are looking to end America’s moon-landing drought and vying for bragging rights as the first private entity to land on the moon.

Li, 65, was a stalwart of China’s aerospace programme before appointment as defence minister in March, making global headlines as the country’s first defence minister on a US sanction list.

Chinese lunar scientist disputes the claim, saying site was within moon’s southern hemisphere but not in the polar region. Others agree, but one notes that landing a rover close the south pole ‘is already a major achievement’.

Robotic probe was the first in a series of Russian missions planned as part of ILRS project but spun out of control and collided with the lunar surface on Saturday.

The nation has a comparatively low-budget aerospace programme, but is rapidly closing in on the milestones set by global space powers.

HKU’s Dr Qian Yuqi beats off stiff competition to win use of precious lunar rocks and dust from 2020 mainland Chinese moon shot for research.

The Australian-developed SHRIMP technology has been used to date some of the oldest known rocks in China – and now a group of Chinese researchers hope to take the technology forward.

Volcanic eruptions may explain 2-billion-year-old lava rocks retrieved from the lunar surface during China’s Chang’e 5 mission.

Scientists believe samples may help create a timeline showing bombardment of Earth by celestial bodies, including the event that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Phosphate mineral Changesite-(Y) was isolated using a series of processes, including X-ray diffraction, according to China National Nuclear Corporation, making China the third nation to discover a lunar mineral.

Analysis of soil brought back to Earth suggests part of the answer is in the moon’s interior.

Space official says scientists will look at near-Earth asteroids over the next few years and aim for the most threatening.

The YF-79 will be one of the world’s most powerful when completed and is on schedule for whole-of-machine testing in 2022.

The presence of water had been confirmed by remote observation but the lander has now detected signs of the H20 molecule in rocks and soil.

Concerns over US Artemis Accords programme for moon explorations may be behind uncharacteristic rush from the Chinese side, scientists behind project say.

Access to results of research on publicly funded missions limited in China, scientists says.

It will include joint programmes and exchanges between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and French space and science agencies.