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LIU Yang, HUANG Liying, ZHOU Xiang, ZOU Yongliao. Latest Scientific Results of China’s Lunar and Deep Space Exploration (2024–2026). Chinese Journal of Space Science, 2026, 46(4): 1-8 doi: 10.11728/cjss2026.04.2026-yg15
Citation: LIU Yang, HUANG Liying, ZHOU Xiang, ZOU Yongliao. Latest Scientific Results of China’s Lunar and Deep Space Exploration (2024–2026). Chinese Journal of Space Science, 2026, 46(4): 1-8 doi: 10.11728/cjss2026.04.2026-yg15
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Latest Scientific Results of China’s Lunar and Deep Space Exploration (2024–2026)

doi: 10.11728/cjss2026.04.2026-yg15 cstr: 32142.14.cjss.2026-yg15

  • State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190

Funds:  Supported by Strategic Research Projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China (42542007)
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  • Author Bio:

    is a Professor at the National Space Science Center in of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Professor Liu’s research interest is focused on understanding the formation and evolution of planetary surfaces by integrating remote sensing observations, quantitatively theoretical modeling, and laboratory spectroscopy. He has published more than 100 papers in high rank journals including Nature Astronomy and Science Advances. E-mail: yangliu@nssc.ac.cn

  • Received Date: 2026-05-20
    Available Online: 2026-07-22
    Abstract
  • China’s deep-space exploration program has entered a highly productive scientific stage, highlighted by the Chang’E-6 lunar farside sample return mission and continuous scientific exploitation of Tianwen-1 orbital and Zhurong rover datasets. This review summarizes the major scientific advances achieved between 2024 and 2026 in lunar and Martian explorations. The first returned samples from the lunar farside have provided unprecedented constraints on the formation of the South Pole-Aitken basin, early lunar crustal evolution, farside volcanism, mantle heterogeneity, volatile evolution, and space weathering processes. These studies reveal a complex evolutionary history involving long-lived magmatism, impact-driven crustal reworking, hemispheric differences in mantle composition, and distinctive regolith evolution. Meanwhile, recent Tianwen-1 investigations have significantly advanced our understanding of Martian surface composition, subsurface structure, geomorphological evolution, and the near-Mars space environment, providing new evidence for aqueous alteration, shallow ice-bearing materials, possible ancient shoreline deposits, and solar-wind-driven plasma processes. These achievements demonstrate the increasing scientific impact of China’s planetary exploration program and provide important new perspectives on terrestrial planet evolution, volatile histories, impact processes, and surface-environment interactions across the inner Solar System.

     

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    • References(43)
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