Mars or the Moon? The red planet is tempting, but humanity hasn't traveled beyond Earth orbit in 45 years, and many see the Moon as a more reasonable destination. The Lunar Exploration Program of the CNSA plans to place the probe Chang’e 4 on the far side of our satellite, and besides studying its geological conditions, it will seek to develop there a basic ecosystem using seeds, potatoes and silkworms.
The Chang'e 3 mission reached the lunar surface in December 2013, marking the first soft landing since Luna 24 (the last entry of that Soviet program) did so in 1976. The CNSA built Chang'e 4 as a backup for Chang'e 3, but since it wasn't needed in that role, it was reassigned. If all goes well, Chang'e 4 will complete its work on the far side of the Moon, studying its geological conditions and deploying a rover. However, according to new information published by the Chongqing Morning Post, Chang'e 4 will have an additional parameter: creating and monitoring a basic ecosystem under extreme conditions.
The key is a special container made of an aluminum alloy, which will carry potatoes, Arabidopsis seeds, and silkworm eggs. The eggs will develop into worms that generate carbon dioxide, while the potatoes and seeds will do the same with oxygen through photosynthesis. It sounds simple on paper, but in practice, temperature control and power distribution present major challenges. The lunar surface is not very friendly, so the container will be equipped with light tubes for sunlight, an insulating layer, and a series of high-density batteries.
The container was built by Chongqing University and 28 other institutions across China. To visualize it better, it is 18 centimeters long and weighs three kilograms. In other words, it will be a miniature ecosystem. When will this happen? Barring last-minute changes, Chang'e 4 will depart at the end of 2018.
