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September 6, 2017

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Mars base comes to Earth in Qinghai

Planners have mapped out a 400 million yuan (US$61 million) project to turn a red rock basin into a Mars research base and eco-tourism site.

Liu Xiaoqun, from the moon and deep-space exploration department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said yesterday that a meeting had been held in the Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China鈥檚 Qinghai Province on the development of a Mars simulation base.

鈥淎s China鈥檚 only Mars science and recreation base, we hope it will focus on the scientific theme of space exploration,鈥 he said.

The red rock area in Qaidam basin in western Qinghai has been called the most 鈥淢artian鈥 place on Earth, with its natural features, landscape and climate all similar to those on the red planet.

The government of Haixi and the Chinese Academy of Sciences signed an agreement in November last year to build the base, and they have since begun discussing the project鈥檚 location.

Liu said the base is expected to consist of a 鈥淢ars community鈥 and a 鈥淢ars campsite鈥 with a number of module-like accommodations.

It will be a one-stop base for studies in aerospace, astronomy, geography and new energy.

China plans to launch a Mars probe by 2020.


 

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