AFTER THE SUN, CHINA CONSTRUCTS A "ARTIFICIAL MOON" TO SIMULATE THE LUNAR ENVIRONMENT ON EARTH.

China's space programme has been rapidly expanding, with 2021 set to be one of Beijing's most successful years in the twenty-first century. The country has now constructed an artificial moon facility that will allow scientists to test new technology and future missions by simulating lunar conditions and the environment.

The facility, which is located in the eastern city of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province, has been dubbed the "first of its type in the world" and will make gravity "disappear." The facility can simulate low gravity situations for as long as needed, reducing China's reliance on zero-gravity flights for astronaut training and environments in which to test new rovers and technologies.

"While low gravity can be obtained in an aircraft or a drop tower, it is only temporary," Li Ruilin of the China University of Mining and Technology, who is directing the development, told the South China Morning Post. In the simulator, Li stated that the impact can "last as long as you wish."

The artificial surface of the mini-moon is made of pebbles and dust that are as light as those on the moon, and it is roughly two feet in diameter. It's worth noting that gravity on the Moon isn't zero; due to the magnetic field, it's one-sixth as strong as gravity on Earth.

"Some trials, like an impact test, take only a few seconds, while others, like creep testing, can take many days," Li explained. The facility's development was inspired by Russian-born physicist Andre Geim's work using a magnet to lift a frog. For this innovative experiment, the physicists were later awarded the Nobel Prize. "Magnetic levitation is not the same as antigravity," the scientists explained to SCMP. "However, there are a variety of instances where simulating microgravity by magnetic fields could be beneficial to expect the unexpected in space exploration."