China has announced plans to build a lunar base using soil from the Moon within the next five years. The country is hoping to achieve this by engaging hundreds of scientists, engineers, and space contractors on the job.
Reports in Chinese media suggest that the plan will kick off this decade with the goal of building infrastructure on the Moon. The country has previously retrieved soil samples from the Moon’s near side with its Chang’e-5 mission in 2020.
Engineers have designed a robot named ‘Chinese Super Masons’ that will make bricks out of lunar soil to prepare the infrastructure. The Extraterrestrial Construction Conference held in Wuhan saw dozens of experts discuss ways to build infrastructure on the Moon.
China has already signed an agreement with Russia to build a research base on the Moon. The construction of the lunar base will begin as early as 2025, with initial studies suggesting the Amundsen crater on the South Pole as a potential site.
“Building a habitat on the moon is needed for long-term lunar explorations and will certainly be realized in the future,” said Ding Lieyun, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
The country wants its astronauts to stay on the Moon for long periods once it establishes a lunar research station. While the engineers are undecided on the final location of the lunar base, initial studies put the Amundsen crater on the South Pole as a potential site. The area runs parallel to the US Artemis mission, which is also targeting the lunar south pole for its return to the Moon.
China’s ambition to build a lunar base shows its commitment to exploring and expanding into space. With Russia and the US also targeting the Moon, it appears the next decade will see a race to establish a permanent human presence on the lunar surface.
