China is building a low-gravity environment simulation research facility on the Moon, inspired by experiments using magnets to make frogs levitate.
The new facility could provide valuable research for China’s lunar exploration efforts, according to scientists involved in the project. Located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, the simulated environment is expected to officially open in the coming months. The research team leader, Li Ruilin from the China University of Mining and Technology, stated that this is the first time such an environment has been constructed in the world.
Vacuum chamber at the center of the simulation environment containing a 60cm diameter artificial Moon. (Photo: Li Ruilin).
The simulation environment can make gravity “disappear.” While airplanes or free-fall towers can achieve low gravity, that effect lasts only for a moment. Li shared that in the simulation environment, this effect can last as long as desired. At the center of the facility is a vacuum chamber containing a small “Moon” with a diameter of 60 cm. The artificial lunar landscape consists of various rocks and dust. Here, gravity is only 1/6 that of Earth, partly thanks to the support of a magnetic field.
When the magnetic field is strong enough, it can magnetize and make objects float, from a living frog to a chestnut. “Some experiments, like collision tests, only require a few seconds in the simulation environment,” Li explained. “But other experiments, such as crawling tests, may take several days.”
According to Li, the idea of building the simulation environment originated from the experiment that made frogs levitate using magnets, which helped Russian physicist Andre Geim win the Ig Nobel Prize in 2000. Geim, a professor at the University of Manchester in the UK, also won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for his work on graphene. He stated that magnetic levitation is not necessarily anti-gravity, but there are countless scenarios where simulating microgravity using magnetic fields could be beneficial for space research.
China is conducting a lunar exploration program named Chang’e, which includes a mission to land a rover on the Moon’s far side in 2019 and bring lunar samples back to Earth in 2020. Following this, China aims to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030 and establish a joint research facility with Russia. According to the country’s authorities, the construction of the research station could begin as early as 2027. Meanwhile, NASA also plans to send astronauts back to the Moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis program.
The facility in Suzhou will play a crucial role in China’s future lunar missions, including building infrastructure on the Moon. The facility will allow scientists to test equipment and prevent costly miscalculations. In the simulated extreme conditions of the Moon, rocks and dust may exhibit different characteristics than usual. Additionally, with no atmosphere on the Moon, temperatures can change rapidly and significantly, and soil particles are loosely bound together in low gravity conditions.
According to Li, the lunar simulation environment can be used to test whether new technologies, such as 3D printing, can be used to construct buildings on the surface of celestial bodies. It also helps assess the feasibility of establishing permanent human settlements, including issues such as how well the ground absorbs heat.
Simulating the Moon’s harsh environment on Earth is not an easy task, as it requires a magnetic force strong enough to break components like superconducting wires. Furthermore, many metal parts needed in the vacuum chamber do not function normally when near strong magnets. Li and his team have developed several technical innovations to overcome these issues, including replacing steel with aluminum in some critical components. He stated that the facility in Suzhou will welcome researchers from around the world.
