Chinese scientists have held the first conference dedicated to discussing plans to build a crewed base on the moon.
More than 100 researchers from domestic universities, research institutes and space contractors took part in the Extraterrestrial Construction Conference held at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan on Saturday.
Their discussion covered a wide range of topics, including plans to build basic infrastructure on the moon, the use of robots and ways to simulate the lunar environment on Earth.
“Extraterrestrial construction is still at a very early stage. The purpose of this conference is to promote dialogue, gather ideas and form a consensus as the community moves forward,” said Ding Lieyun, a specialist in intelligent construction and chief scientist of the National Centre of Technology Innovation for Digital Construction at the university.
“Eventually, building habitation beyond the earth is essential not only for all humanity’s quest for space exploration, but also for China’s strategic needs as a space power,” Ding told China Science Daily during the conference. Ding told the conference about the latest developments at his laboratory, including the creation of samples of simulated lunar soil, according to China Science Daily.
Ding’s team had previously proposed moon base designs such as the egg-shaped Lunar Pot Vessel, which is made of bricks based on moon soil created using 3D printers and lasers. Read More at https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3216684/chinese-scientists-hold-first-conference-discuss-building-crewed-moon-base