China’s space industry is gearing up to dispatch its own ‘artificial moon’ by 2020 to supplant streetlamps and bring down power costs in urban territories, as per the state media detailed Friday.
The “illumination satellites” will be placed in orbit above Chengdu,the capital city of southwestern Sichuan region, which will generate luminosity eight times brighter than the real moon and will sparkle just like it, as said by one of china’s most popular journals.
Man-made moon :
Being the first of its kind, such moon is going to be launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, with three more to follow in 2022 if the initial test goes well, said Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society, the association in charge of the venture.
The first launch of this artificial moon will be on a trial basis and the 2022 satellites “will be the real deal with awesome city and business potential,” he said in a meeting with the journal.
Sort of splendid :
The satellites could subtitute streetlamps in urban zones as it catches light from the sun . It is expected to save 1.2 billion yuan ($170 million) a year in power costs for Chengdu by lighting up a zone of 50 square kilometers.
The extraterrestrial source of light could also help protect endeavors in an emergency zones amid power outages.
A united attempt :
Chengdu’s artificial moon venture was declared by Wu at a development and business enterprise gathering in Chengdu on October 10.
Notwithstanding Tian Fu New Area Science Society, a number of prominent Universities and and organizations, including the Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, are engaged with building up Chengdu’s enlightenment satellites.
