China has launched an experimental mission with bricks made in the lab to test building the first lunar base by 2035.
The Tianzhou-8 cargo craft was launched on Friday from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre, the Chinese state media said.
The rocket is carrying experimental materials to test whether bricks for the Moonbase can be made from lunar soil.
Why China Launched The Rocket?
This is part of China’s larger space exploration program, which aims to land humans on the Moon by 2030.
The bricks were developed by Chinese researchers that mimic the real Moon’s surface material.
They are made of Earth-based analogs such as basalt to replicate the properties of lunar soil.
Bricks Will Go Through Experiments Abroad
Once in orbit at the Tiangong space station, the materials will be exposed to the harsh conditions of space for testing.
Chinese researchers are assessing whether the materials can survive the lunar environment.
