China starts 200-day simulation of living on another planet
China starts 200-day simulation of living on another planet
It's an important step toward becoming a space superpower.
By Jon Fingas, engadget, July 9 2017
Damir Sagolj / Reuters
The US definitely doesn't have a monopoly on long-term simulations of living on another planet. Four Beijing University students have begun a 200-day isolation experiment, Lunar Palace 365 (why not Lunar Palace 200?), where they'll live solely on the resources they would have on the Moon or Mars. That means generating life-giving oxygen from plants, recycling urine to produce drinking water and otherwise making the most of limited supplies.
As with other tests, the bigger challenges may be psychological. The students will have daily tasks to keep them motivated, but they'll still be living in a tiny space, cut off from friends and family, for the better part of a year. How will they cope with a The test will also show how they react to going without sunlight for a significant stretch of time, which could affect their physical and mental health.
This isn't the longest such test, but it could be important for China. The country is determined to catch up to the space programs of the US and Russia, and that means being ready for extended stays on distant worlds. What China learns now could pay dividends if it's ready to explore the Solar System right as its biggest rivals embark on their own manned explorations of the Solar System.
Source: Reuters
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China intends to be a big player in this game.
From what I've seen over the years in dealing and doing business in China for 30 years is that they have a long term plan, a real long term plan, not 5 years but decades and decades.
This is another step in that journey for them to become the most powerful advanced nation on earth.
To bad this article didn't draw some comments. There is a lot that can be discussed here.
Forget it Kavika. This is what you're up against.
Sadly, that's true Buzz.
Buzz , will you stop whining every time an article of yours doesn't get enough comments.
You don't see anyone complaining there are too many articles about China.
Youi're my teacher, John. I've learned from you. When you stop whining about Trump being the most incompetent person in the world to be elected President, I'll stop whining about members not looking at my articles.
Besides, if you did in fact read the comments to this article, you will have noticed that I'm not the one who lodged the complaint. I only responded to the complaint.
Our Vice President met with Trump the Friday before last at the White House when he signed an executive order to restore the National Space Council.
We've been working on the mission to mars for a while now and are building a significant amount of the tooling used to assemble the rocket.
A friend of mine works for Moog.....he builds thrusters....the space program is still alive.
China sees things in centuries where we look at years. Has a lot to do with being an ancient society.