Unveiling the Moon’s Secrets: China Releases the Most Detailed Lunar Atlas Ever

The high-resolution geological map, the first major update of lunar information since NASA’s Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, captures the lunar surface in exquisite detail. The map displays 14 categories of structures, 17 rock types, 81 impact basins, and 12,341 craters. The project, initiated in 2012, involved over 100 researchers working for more than a decade. The primary objective of the mapping initiative was to simplify the selection of landing sites and resource locations for future lunar missions. The researchers involved in the creation of the atlas, available in both Chinese and English, emphasize its utility for other countries as well. According to co-lead researcher Li Chunlai, a research professor at the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, “The geological atlas of the moon is of great significance for studying the Moon, selecting the site for a future lunar research station, and utilizing lunar resources.” The atlas also enhances our understanding of Earth, as well as other planets in our solar system, such as Mars and Venus. The Chinese researchers utilized data from the Chang’e-1 mission, an uncrewed spacecraft that scanned the lunar surface from orbit between 2007 and 2009, to create the atlas. Subsequent observations taken from the moon’s surface by the Chang’e-3 and Chang’e-4 lunar rovers in 2013 and 2019, respectively, corroborated the orbital observations. The researchers also cross-referenced their data with data from India’s Chandrayaan-1 probe and NASA’s GRAIL and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter missions. The release of this atlas coincides with China’s growing space ambitions. In recent years, China has successfully landed rovers on the Moon and Mars, and in 2022, it completed the construction of its space station. Additionally, it is leading the construction efforts of an International Lunar Research Station, scheduled for completion by 2030. The China National Space Administration has launched a space probe, an X-ray telescope to study neutron stars and black holes, and a quantum communications satellite, demonstrating the country’s commitment to space exploration and scientific research.