Chinese scientists are planing to launch an artificial moon into the sky by 2020 to illuminate one of its biggest cities.
Chinese scientists plan to launch an artificial moon into orbit over Chéngdū by 2020. Image by Getty
Made from a satellite coated in reflected material, the man-made moon will glow at night to replace street lights and reduce energy costs. It’s hoped that the moon will be in orbit by 2020 above the city of Chéngdū, the capital of the southwestern Sìchuān province. It will be eight times brighter than the Earth’s moon but one-fifth as bright as street lights and if it proves to be successful, more moons will then be introduced, according to Chinese state media.
The satellite would illuminate an area on earth of up to 50 square miles, according to Wu Chunfeng, chairman of the city’s Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute. It’s hoped the innovation will replace the need for streetlights and will reduce annual electricity costs by up to 1.2 billion yuan (US$173/£132m million).
A super blue moon rising. (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)
Speaking to China Daily, Wu Chunfeng said: “the first moon will be mostly experimental, but the three moons in 2022 will be the real deal with great civic and commercial potential.” It’s reported that the artificial moons can be fine-tuned for luminosity and used to “illuminate blackout areas” after natural disasters such as earthquakes. Wu reportedly said testing had begun on the satellite years ago and the technology had now evolved enough to allow for launch in 2020. The People’s Daily credited the idea to “a French artist, who imagined hanging a necklace made of mirrors above the Earth which could reflect sunshine through the streets of Paris all year round.”
There are concerns the moon’s glow will affect nocturnal animals. Image by Getty
There are concerns, however, that the artificial moon will affect people and wildlife, especially nocturnal animals, and interfere with scientific equipment that observes Earth’s atmosphere. Before it’s launched, the moon will have to be tested in an uninhabited desert although it is not yet clear whether the plan has been approved by the city of Chéngdū or the Chinese government.
In 1993, Russian scientists attempted to do something similar and released a 20m-wide reflector from a supply ship heading to the Mir Space Station to deflect sunlight back to Earth. The plan failed due to the mirror malfunctioning.
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