It’s no secret that China is trying to gain a solid foothold in space. The country’s Mars rover has already proven successful in discovering much more about the Red Planet than expected, even if it “faced death” in the dunes. China’s current goal is to build an underground Chinese Lunar base that can use lava tunnels on the Moon as a starting point.
There are lava tunnels all over the Moon. These cave-like tunnels were formed by lava flowing on the Moon’s surface in the past. As the molten rock began to cool, it formed the tops of lava caves. But as the lava continued to retreat, a tunnel appeared on the Moon’s surface.
We can also see these lava tunnels in many places on Earth, and they are a common byproduct of lava flowing anywhere. These lava tunnels are thought to form the basis for China’s underground lunar base. Since there is already a tunnel, astronauts who will build the Moon base can use natural resources as a roof, and these walls can protect astronauts from the harsh radiation of space.
This plan could be very useful in humanity’s fight against temperature fluctuations on the Moon’s surface. Since we have a much thicker atmosphere on Earth, temperature control and many other features can be naturally controlled on the planet’s surface. However, because the Moon’s atmosphere is very thin, much more sunlight reaches the surface. For this reason, the Moon has a much warmer environment when exposed to sunlight and a colder environment when it is plunged into darkness.
In addition, astronauts will have to deal with the possibility of an asteroid impact that hit the Moon within the last few million years, giving it its current spotted appearance. If scientists can find more inclined lava tunnels on the Moon’s surface, these areas could be used to create an underground lunar base better protected from impact risks.
Of course, the chances of China establishing an underground base within the next few years are quite slim. The country shared plans to create a Moon base by 2028; However, there is no manned mission to land on the Moon surface until the 2030s.
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