The Chang'e‐5 (CE‐5) materials represent the youngest returned lunar samples. We performed a detailed Raman spectroscopic survey (1259‐point Raman modal analysis) to evaluate the mineralogical characteristics of CE‐5 soils, constraining the source materials and shock effects of these unique samples. The mineral chemistry (e.g., Mg#_3‐60 for mafic minerals) and modal abundance (first distinguishing basaltic and feldspathic glasses) of CE‐5 mare soils are different from those of Apollo high‐ and low‐Ti basalts, possibly representing an intermediate‐Ti mare basalt. The occurrence of minor Mg‐rich materials (Mg# > 70) provides evidence of contamination from ∼5% to 7% exogenous materials, possibly related to Mg‐suite rocks. The microimage analyses suggest that the CE‐5 soils are fine‐grained, mature, and unimodal particle‐size distribution, highlighting that micrometeorite reworking dominates the CE‐5 regolith evolution with minor mixing from nonmare materials. The pressure‐sensitive minerals (quartz and maskelynite) indicate that 17–25.8 GPa shock pressures might be the higher limit in a relatively young lunar terrain.

The Vastitas Borealis Formation is a Hesperian-aged sedimentary unit that mainly covers the Martian northern plains. Its environment of formation is uncertain but may be related to an ancient Martian ocean, outflow channel deposits, compaction and drainage activities, or subsurface ice-related processes. Here we investigate the geological evolution of the Vastitas Borealis Formation using geochemical and mineralogical data acquired by the Mars Surface Composition Detector on board the Zhurong rover at the Tianwen-1 landing site. We find that the fine-grained soil is very similar to the ubiquitous surface dust at other landing sites on Mars but mixed with calcium-rich and magnesium-poor local materials. These materials are mostly igneous minerals mixed with allophane and imogolite/opal and appear to have a low degree of chemical alteration. We suggest that these deposits likely formed by alteration of extensive volcaniclastic soils in limited or ephemeral water under cold conditions, which largely supports the hypotheses of a frozen ocean and sublimation.

Laboratory simulation is the only feasible way to achieve Martian environmental conditions on Earth, establishing a key link between the laboratory and Mars exploration. The mineral phases of some Martian surface materials (especially hydrated minerals), as well as their spectral features, are closely related to environmental conditions. Therefore, Martian environment simulation is necessary for Martian mineral detection and analysis. A Mars environment chamber (MEC) coupled with multiple in situ spectral sensors (VIS (visible)-NIR (near-infrared) reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and UV-VIS emission spectroscopy) was developed at Shandong University at Weihai, China. This MEC is a comprehensive research platform for Martian environmental parameter simulation, regulation, and spectral data collection. Here, the structure, function and performance of the MEC and the coupled spectral sensors were systematically investigated. The spectral characteristics of some geological samples were recorded and the effect of environmental parameter variations (such as gas pressure and temperature) on the spectral features were also acquired by using the in situ spectral sensors under various simulated Martian conditions. CO₂ glow discharge plasma was generated and its emission spectra were assigned. The MEC and its tested functional units worked well with good accuracy and repeatability. China is implementing its first Mars mission (Tianwen-1), which was launched on 23 July 2020 and successfully entered into a Mars orbit on 10 February 2021. Many preparatory works such as spectral databases and prediction model building are currently underway using MECs, which will help us build a solid foundation for real Martian spectral data analysis and interpretation.

We present comprehensive compositional and mineralogical results on two basaltic lunar meteorites Northwest Africa (NWA) 4734 and NWA 10597 to constrain their igneous mineralogy and metamorphic characteristics, and examine the potential pairing relationship among them and other meteorites (e.g., basaltic lunar meteorites collected from LaPaz Icefield, Antarctica (LAPs)). NWA 4734 and NWA 10597 are low‐Ti (3.2–3.5 wt.% TiO₂), low‐Al (10–12 wt.% Al₂O₃), low‐K (880–1,300 ppm K) mare basalts derived from evolved parental magma (Mg# (molar Mg/[Mg + Fe] × 100) = 33.6–38.3) and are mostly composed of pyroxene (52.7–55.5 vol.%), plagioclase/maskelynite (27.5–29.3 vol.%), olivine (6.7–7.6 vol.%), and late‐formed components (i.e., mesostasis). Pyroxene and olivine in these two meteorites exhibit a multimodal compositional distribution, indicating multiple generations of these mafic minerals, which correspond to different evolution phases (e.g., magma chamber, ascending, and eruption) during the solidification of the basaltic parental magma. Immiscibility played an important role in the evolution of the late‐stage melts, inducing fractionation involving Fe‐rich and Si, K‐rich melts within mesostasis. Considering the extensive partial transformation of plagioclase to maskelynite across the sections, the average shock pressure endured by NWA 4734 and NWA 10597 is probably 23–29 GPa, which is consistent with the pressure condition (below 29.8 GPa) recorded by quartz. Similar textures, bulk composition, modal mineral proportions, and mineral compositions indicate that NWA 4734, NWA 10597, and the LAPs most likely originated from the same region of the Moon and both experienced intensive shock events.