
AsianScientist (May 28, 2014) – On May 20, three Chinese volunteers from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics stepped out of a 500 m3 capsule, in which they had spent 105 days living and eating only laboratory-grown plants and insects. Called Moon Palace 1, the capsule is part of China’s continuing efforts at expanding space research and technology.
Moon Palace 1 mirrors the Earth’s biosphere, featuring a cabin and two plant cultivation labs allowing its crew to cultivate grain, vegetable, fruit and insects for survival. With capabilities including water and fertilizer production, waste processing and air purification, it is also known as a bioregenerative life support module. The module foreshadows possibilities of sustaining supplies for astronauts living in space stations over long time periods in the future.
China is now entering the second decade of her manned space program, which features plans for a permanent space station as well as manned lunar missions.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Mike Licht/CC/Flickr.
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