Baddeleyite Is a Resistant Mineral in Lunar and Airless Body Space Weathering Environments

Abstract Space weathering constantly alters airless planetary bodies (e.g., the Moon), changing the composition and texture of their surface materials. However, how space weathering alters accessory minerals on the planetary surfaces is still unclear. This study uses transmission electron microscopy to investigate the space weathering features of diverse minerals from Chang'e‐5 and Chang'e‐6 lunar soils. Our results show that lunar baddeleyite (ZrO 2 ) exhibits less modification in response to space weathering, which is different from silicate minerals and ilmenite. Specifically, space weathering does not change the crystal structure and chemical composition of baddeleyite. We further reveal that bond energy and nuclear resistance are the two main factors affecting space weathering effects (particularly the formation of the amorphous layer). These results suggest that baddeleyite is a stable phase under space weathering conditions when compared with other lunar minerals. This work also provides mineralogical evidence for the existence of natural space weathering‐resistant materials on the Moon.