China approves lunar sample access for 18 researchers, marking first use of far side moon samples.

China's space agency has approved the eighth batch of applications for lunar sample research, giving 18 researchers from 16 institutions access to 8,550.4 milligrams of samples from the Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 missions. This includes the first samples from the moon's far side. Since July 2021, China has shared samples for research on topics like lunar surface processes and volcanic activity age, promoting international scientific collaboration.