China builds artificial moon that has its own gravity

China has built a facility with an artificial moon-like environment that will support future explorations of Earth’s only natural satellite.

A simulated environment with low gravity was inspired by experiments that used magnets to lift frogs, the South China Morning Post reported.

Located in Xuzhou in the Jiangsu province, this simulator is designed in a way that can ‘disappear gravity,’ according to its designers.

Developers explained that the artificial moon simulator, which consists of a small 2ft room within a vacuum chamber, can simulate low or zero gravity “for as long as you want.”

A lunar landscape has been created inside the 2ft room, consisting of rocks and dust that are as light as those found on the moon’s surface.

‘Some experiments such as an impact test need just a few seconds,’ said lead scientist Li Ruilin, from the China University of Mining and Technology, adding that ‘others such as creep testing can take several days.’

The idea of using magnetic fields to levitate came from the Russian physicist Andre Geim, who won an Ig Nobel prize in 2000 for making a frog float.

Geim told the South China Morning Post that “magnetic levitation is not the same as antigravity” but he is delighted to see his experiments in education being utilized in space exploration.

As part of a joint project with Russia, China aims to send astronauts to the moon by 2030 and establish a lunar base by the end of this decade.

In the event of future missions to the moon, this ‘artificial moon’ will serve as a planning tool that can prepare scientists for building in low gravity.

Using these technologies would make it possible to build permanent human settlements, says Li.

‘Some experiments conducted in the simulated environment can also give us some important clues, such as where to look for water trapped under the surface,’ he said.