Lunar sample studies China on Monday delivered about 17 grams of lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-5 probe to 13 institutions, which had applied for research programs to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. This is the first batch of lunar samples delivered to research institutions. More samples will be released and delivered in the future as planned. The Chang’e-5 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner, was launched on November 24, 2020. The return capsule landed in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 17, retrieving about 1,731 grams of moon samples. Giant pandas protection China’s protection of giant pandas will not be weakened despite their no longer being endangered, an official said on July 10. Giant pandas are still first-class key protected wild animals in China, and are seen as the flagship and umbrella species of China’s endangered-species protection, according to the China’s Forestry and Grassland Administration. The national treasure has become a trending topic in China after an official of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said at a press conference earlier last week that it has been downgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable,” as the population of giant pandas living in the wildness has reached 1,800. Off-campus tutoring Unlike their usual tranquility during the summer vacation, primary and middle schools in Beijing will be buzzing with excited students as the municipal government has required schools to provide day-care services during the holiday. Doors to school libraries, reading rooms and playgrounds will be wide open, and school subject classes are not allowed to be organized, according to the city’s education bureau. In addition to Beijing, the cities of Shanghai, Wuhan and Suzhou have introduced similar day-care policies, which target the competitive tutoring market for school children during holidays so as to ease their pressure. World’s largest planetarium The Shanghai Astronomy Museum, the world’s largest planetarium in terms of building scale, will open July 17. Covering an area of approximately 58,600 square meters, the museum is located in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lingang Special Area. It is a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The museum has an 8K ultra-high definition dome theater and exhibition areas with various themes. Collections including some 70 meteorites including those from the moon, Mars and Vesta, as well as over 120 collections of artifacts, including original works of Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler, will be on display. (SD-Agencies) | 