Attendees at China’s first international conference on space habitation and exploitation were given a tour of a vast underground cave system that Chinese researchers are hoping to use as a testing ground for living on the moon and Mars.
Xie Gengxin, from the Centre of Space Exploration at Chongqing University in southwestern China, organised the visit to Youyang Base, where large-scale closed cave ecosystem validation research is under way.
The Youyang cave system spans about 3,000 metres (9,840 feet), with the widest section measuring 130 metres (427 feet) and its highest point reaching 108 metres (354 feet).
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“Earth’s caves provide an excellent simulation of lunar lava tubes in terms of internal structure, natural environment, and isolation from the external world,” said Xie, in an interview with the South China Morning Post on Wednesday.
Xie and his team first proposed in 2019 that the moon’s hollow, tubelike caves, formed by volcanic activity, might be suitable for human habitation and suggested that the environment could be simulated using natural underground spaces on Earth.
The proposal followed that year’s successful germination of cotton seeds on the moon’s far side, as part of the Chang’e 4 lunar landing mission.
Xie, who was chief designer of the moon surface micro-ecological circle, revealed at the time that cotton, rapeseed, potato, arabidopsis – commonly known as rock cress – as well as yeast and fruit flies, were chosen for the experiment.
Bases on the moon and Mars will be essential components of future deep space exploration, but their extreme environments present significant challenges – including temperature fluctuations, intense radiation and frequent meteorite impacts.
In contrast, the recently discovered lava tubes on the moon can withstand meteorites and radiation, while maintaining relatively stable internal temperatures.
And if the ceilings are thick enough, the tubes could be pressurised to standard atmospheric levels, making them a promising site for future lunar bases, according to the scientists.
To validate the relevant technologies in advance on Earth, Xie and his team of researchers turned to the karst landscapes that are a feature of parts of southwest and southern China.
They explored hundreds of caves across Chongqing, as well as Sichuan, Hunan and Hainan provinces before deciding to focus on caves in Wulong and Youyang for further design work.
“Major research areas include environment simulation, human-machine interactions, controlled ecosystems, and communication and navigation systems. Construction will largely be carried out by robots, with priority given to utilising resources that can be found on the moon,” Xie said.
The team’s plan for an extraterrestrial, cave-based habitat involves three phases, starting with identifying and modifying a suitable lava tube, then establishing a cave farm for plants and livestock, and finally habitat construction.
Robots will complete tasks like sealing and construction in the lava tube modification phase, which includes integrating smart lighting systems that combine natural and photovoltaic light for illumination and energy support.
According to the researchers, a production area will be reserved in the planned moon base layout, where lunar regolith will be transformed from loose dust and broken rocks into building materials or planting medium.
Once the initial modifications are complete, a cave farm will be established. It will be divided into three key areas, with the farming zone focusing on plant cultivation and animal incubation.
An equipment area will incorporate local resources and human waste to establish resource cycles, converting some organic matter into nutrient solutions. Finally, a backyard will serve as a transitional space for plants adapted to lowlight conditions.
The habitat construction phase will focus on optimising energy systems and residential areas to ensure the long-term survival of humans.
An energy system will use solar power and thermoelectric generation from the moon’s surface to generate electricity, providing stable power supply for system operations, heating, and environmental regulation.
The residential area will balance comfort and functionality, providing living, exercise, and research spaces for the crew, according to the researchers.
“As deep space exploration advances rapidly, using lunar and Martian caves to build habitats will become a crucial starting point for humanity’s exploration of the cosmos and expansion of living space, ushering in a new era of extraterrestrial civilisation,” Xie said.
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