Chinese scientists have held their 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.
His team then used a robot named Chinese Super Mason to put the bricks together using traditional Chinese construction techniques - a process Ding compared to building Lego and which he said was less risky and more efficient than printing the whole structure.
Ding said there are multiple challenges to be overcome when building a moon base, including the lack of water, low gravity, frequent moon quakes and strong cosmic radiation.
In a separate interview with Changjiang Daily, Ding said the first brick made of lunar soil will be built during the Chang'e 8 mission in about five years' time. "We will be using real moon soil to make the first brick right there on the moon", he added.
Meanwhile, the chief designer for the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration project - covering the Chang'e 6, 7 and 8 missions - warned that scientists may have underestimated the gap between daytime and nighttime temperatures on the moon.
"Our latest data showed the highest temperature on the moon is about 120 degrees [248 Fahrenheit] and the lowest is around minus 200 degrees. Such a difference is larger than we had expected and adds to the difficulty of in-situ construction," Yu Dengyun, from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told China Science Daily.
Yu and researchers from the Harbin Institute of Technology in northeastern China published detailed designs of two moon bases, named Clover and Red Star, in the Journal of Deep Space Exploration in February.
Clover was designed for the surface or the moon, while Red Star is designed for lunar craters, and both designs consist of four cabins that could support three or four astronauts for a short-term stay.
"It might take us 20 to 30 years or longer to eventually settle down on the moon, but we must start working together now," Yu told the conference.
He also updated the timeline for the next Chang'e missions. Chang'e 6 will be launched in 2025 to collect samples from the far side of the moon for the first time in human history, he said.
Meanwhile, Chang'e 7 will be launched the following year and land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin to look for water-ice at the bottom of craters.
Finally, Chang'e 8 should land on the moon around 2028 where it will look at ways to exploit local resources. It will also test key technologies together with Chang'e-7 to pave the way for a future lunar research base.
