National Astronomical Observatories takes charge of lunar rocks, soil By Zhang Yangfei | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-12-19 17:36 Share CLOSE Hou Jianguo, right, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presents a certificate of responsibility for lunar samples to Chang Jin, head of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, on Dec 19, 2020. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn] National Astronomical Observatories, a subsidiary of Chinese Academy of Sciences, has officially taken charge of the lunar rocks and soil brought back by China's Chang'e 5 robotic probe and will start research soon. A ceremony for receiving the lunar samples was held at the National Astronomical Observatories on Saturday morning shortly after the samples were handed over by Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration, to Hou Jianguo, CAS president.