Experts from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered various glass materials in the lunar soil brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission and conducted systematic research on them. Using scanning and transmission electron microscopes, the researchers comprehensively analyzed the morphology, composition and microstructure of glass substances found in powder samples obtained from lunar regolith.
In the article published in the National Science Review journal, it is stated that there are various glass materials with different physical origins (liquid quenching, vapor deposition and irradiation damage) and that these contents were analyzed and compiled into a catalogue. Researchers also found naturally occurring glass fibers on the lunar surface for the first time; This suggests that there is a possibility that lunar soil could be used to process and produce glass building materials.
Chang'e-5 completed its examination on December 17, 2020 and returned to earth, bringing with it a total of 1.731 grams of samples, including rocks and soil, from the lunar surface.