Photo credit: Daily Mail
China’s first Mars simulation base has just opened to the public, and it’s located in Mangya city, in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province. Many consider Qinqhai’s red rock area the most Martian-like place on Earth, with its natural features, landscape and climate. Visitors can try and solve problems they might face on the Red Planet, such as planting potatoes for food and using solar technology for power generation. The base covers an area of 53,330 square meters, and can accommodate up to 60 people in its capsules / tents. Construction began in June 2018 at a cost of about 150 million yuan ($22.3 million).
Jiao Weixin, a space science professor at Peking University, however, told the Global Times it’s extremely difficult to simulate Mars due to its special natural features and hostile environment – low air pressure, strong radiation and frequent sandstorms, as well as vast differences in geography. China is planning four deep space exploration missions before 2030, including probes to Mars, asteroids and Jupiter, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
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