Now that China already has a Mars rover exploring the planet, the nation is posing another great challenge for the future. Of course, it seems that this is a little crazier than expected, since they would have planned the construction of an underground lunar base. Does the project have any viability or have they gotten too carried away after their recent space success?
It is obvious that China has become enthusiastic after confirming that, although they have had some setbacks in the past, they can become a power in space exploration. Their rover is doing well and may end up being crucial in the study of Mars. Therefore, they want to expand to the Moon. What they don’t seem to have very clear about are the times in which they are going to act.
They want to start soon
Then we explain to you what the idea is that they have to create the underground base, but first we wanted to dwell a little on the inconsistency of the Chinese project in general, at least in terms of deadlines. They say that their plan is to start building the underground base in 2028. To do this, they will use bricks that will be built with lunar soil, so there will be no problems regarding the raw materials that will be applied in the process. Until then, everything sounds more or less good, although it seems very sudden that they will be able to start the project in just five years.
However, we later discovered, by checking documents and China’s plans for the Moon, that they do not have any planned crewed mission until 2030. Therefore, either they would be thinking of building without any type of human labor on site or Possibly they have some kind of confusion with their strategy. In 2030 they will send astronauts to the Moon and in 2035 they want to have an international lunar base formed that will allow collaboration with other countries. But that international base would not be the underground base.
This would be the underground lunar base
And now let’s analyze the plan to build a base on the Moon. It cannot be said, however, that the idea is not original. What China is most concerned about are the conditions on the Moon, which make it very difficult to establish colonies and structures abroad. The lunar atmosphere is not like that of the Earth and generates a very negative situation both when it is illuminated by the Sun and when it is not. In the first case, UV radiation is not blocked as much as on our planet, and in the second, the level of cold is so intense that darkness becomes a terrible moment for those who are there.
Not only that, but the Moon is exposed to the fall of space debris and all types of bodies that, over thousands and thousands of years, have left those craters that are so recognizable. Therefore, being outside can mean exposing yourself to serious accidents and moments of risk. All of this could be solved by entering the underground and building the lunar civilization there or, for now, the Chinese underground base. Taking into account everything that has been said, what seems crazy at first glance can end up becoming a very logical plan.
Furthermore, to carry out this plan, China has had a great idea: to use the caves and lava conduits that exist under the lunar surface and that were created at the time by the lava that flowed through the star. They would use the work that the lava has already done naturally and take advantage of the existing spaces to be able to have protection that would keep the settlers protected from all risks from the outside. Thus, they would not have to worry about radiation, temperature, or falling space debris.
Therefore, beyond the concept, the reality is that China has a solid plan that could work out for them. Of course, there would be many questions to answer and know if, in practice, it will be possible to take advantage of those underground spaces that have been created through the lava effect. They would also have to carry out security checks and hundreds of analyzes to confirm the viability of the project. It doesn’t sound bad, but thinking about starting in 2028 seems a bit far-fetched.
