BEIJING (CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - China's space industry is preparing to launch the world's first artificial moon to help with urban illumination at night, a leading scientist said.

China plans to put an artificial moon in orbit above Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan, by 2020. If the launch proves successful, three more such objects will be launched in 2022, Mr Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society in Chengdu, told the China Daily in an exclusive interview on Thursday (Oct 18).

The artificial moon will have a reflective coating that can deflect sunlight back to Earth, similar to how the moon shines, he said.

The man-made moon is essentially an illumination satellite designed to complement the moon at night, though it is predicted to be eight times brighter, the scientist added.

This is due to the object's planned orbit about 500km above Earth－much closer than the 380,000km distance to the moon, Mr Wu said.

"But this is not enough to light up the entire night sky," he said. "Its expected brightness, in the eyes of humans, is around one-fifth of normal street lights."

The location and brightness of the light beam can be changed, and its coverage accuracy can fall within a few dozen metres, he said.

The artificial moon might replace some street lights in the urban area, thus conserving energy.

Mr Wu estimated Chengdu could save around 1.2 billion yuan (S$239 million) in electricity annually if the artificial moon illuminated 50 sq km of the city.

Meanwhile, the extra light can shine into disaster zones during blackouts, thus aiding relief and rescue efforts, he added.

The mirrors can be adjusted for luminosity, and can be completely turned off when needed. However, less light from the satellite will reach the ground if the sky is overcast.

"The first moon will be mostly experimental, but the three moons in 2022 will be the real deal with great civic and commercial potential," Mr Wu said.

The three new man-made moons can take turns reflecting sunlight, as they will not always be in the best position relative to the sun, and together they can illuminate an area of around 3,600 to 6,400 sq km on Earth for 24 hours if desired, he said.

Mr Wu said several notable universities and institutes, including Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, have evaluated the man-made moon project and given it their approval for trial and demonstration.

Despite the approval, Mr Wu was quick to point out some criticism of the project, including fear of detrimental physiological consequences for people and animals, in which the absence of regular alternations between night and day would disrupt various metabolic patterns, including sleep.

"We will only conduct our tests in an uninhabited desert, so our light beams will not interfere with any people or Earth-based space observation equipment," he said. "When the satellite is in operation, people will see only a bright star above, and not a giant moon as imagined."

However, Mr Wu stressed that much work still needs to be done, both in terms of scientific feasibility and business models, to tap the full potential of China's artificial moons.

He said China, Russia, the United States, Japan and European countries are all looking to capitalise on harnessing energy from space, and reflecting mirrors have been in the discussion for some time.

In 1999, Russia tried sending a 25m diameter space mirror, under the project named Banner, into space. The project aimed to redirect sunlight onto Russian cities, but the space mirror misfired at launch and the entire project was soon cancelled due to budget issues, according to the New York Times.</s>The night skies might soon have company: Chinese scientists are planning to launch an artificial moon into orbit by 2020 to illuminate city streets after dark.

Scientists are hoping to hang the man-made moon above the city of Chengdu, the capital of China’s southwestern Sichuan province, according to a report in Chinese state media. The imitation celestial body — essentially an illuminated satellite — will bear a reflective coating to cast sunlight back to Earth, where it will supplement streetlights at night.

Scientists estimated that it could be eight times more luminous than the actual, original moon. It will also orbit much closer to Earth; about 500 km (310 miles) away, compared to the moon’s 380,000 km (236,000 miles).

But the ambitious plan still wouldn’t “light up the entire night sky,” Wu Chunfeng, chief of the Tian Fu New Area Science Society, told China Daily. “Its expected brightness, in the eyes of humans, is around one-fifth of normal streetlights.”

The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now

Wu estimated that new moons could save the city of Chengdu around 1.2 billion yuan ($173 million) in electricity costs annually, and could even assist first responders during blackouts and natural disasters. If the project proves successful, it could be joined by three more additions to the night sky in 2022, he said.

Read more: Science: Space Mirror

But much more testing needs to be done, Wu said, to ensure the plan is viable and will not have a detrimental effect on the natural environment.

“We will only conduct our tests in an uninhabited desert, so our light beams will not interfere with any people or Earth-based space observation equipment,” he told the Daily.

China’s space goals are not unprecedented. In the 1990s, Russia experimented with using an orbital mirror to reflect sunlight on some of its sun-deprived northern cities, according to the New York Times. The project was abandoned in 1999 after the mirror failed to unfold and was incinerated in the atmosphere.

In January, American firm Rocket Lab launched an artificial star into space, the Times reported. But scientists criticized the “Humanity Star,” as the reflective mini-satellite was dubbed, for contributing to artificial light pollution and cluttering in Earth’s orbit.

Write to Eli Meixler at eli.meixler@time.com.</s>CHENGDU, China (CBS News) – The world’s first artificial moon could be launched by 2020, China Daily reports. China’s space industry is preparing to put an artificial moon into orbit over the city of Chengdu.

The fake moon is expected to be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China’s Sichuan province.

The artificial moon will act as a nightlight. Similar to the real moon, the artificial one will have a reflective coating that deflects sunlight to the Earth — only it will shine eight times brighter than the real moon, scientists say, according to China Daily.

The object has a planned orbit of about 310 miles above Earth. That’s much closer than the real moon, which orbits an average distance of about 239,000 miles from our planet.

The artificial moon will be brighter than the one we’re used to, according to Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society in Chengdu, who spoke to China Daily. It could replace some streetlights in Chengdu, which will help conserve energy, but it won’t light up the entire night sky.

The location and brightness of the “moonbeams” can be controlled and targeted to light up specific areas, the news outlet reported.

Live Science reports that little is known about the height, size and true brightness of the proposed artificial moon — all of which could affect its visibility.

If the launch of this moon is successful, three more could follow in 2022, Wu told China Daily. Wu estimated the city of Chengdu could save around $174 million (1.2 billion yuan) in electricity ever year if the artificial moon illuminated 31 square miles of the city. Artificial moonlight could also serve other purposes, he suggested, like illuminating disaster zones during blackouts.</s>In context: Because one is just not enough, China wants to put a second moon into orbit. The project is meant to eliminate street lamps and save electricity. The controllable moon could also be useful during disasters and blackout situations.

Engineers in Chengdu are preparing “illumination satellites” to be launched into orbit, noted state-run media outlet People’s Daily on Friday. The first will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, China in 2020. If successful, three more will follow in 2022. Development and testing of the satellites started several years ago but has only been finalized recently.

Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society, the organization responsible for the project says, once the project is complete the man-made moon will be eight-times brighter than the Moon. The luminosity should be enough to replace the streetlights in the 14,300-square-meter city of Chengdu.

According to engineers at the Chengdu Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute, Earth-based operators of the moon will have very precise control over the illumination. The radius of the reflected light will be adjustable from between 10 to 80 kilometers and can be directed to specific locations within a few dozen meters of accuracy. The city of Chengdu will be the moon’s primary focus.

All that is known about the satellites' functionality is that each will have a set of “wings” coated with a highly reflective material. These panels will be adjustable from the ground. The faux moon should easily be visible in China and other locations as a very bright star.

No further details of the spacecraft were released, and a specific launch date has not been announced other than sometime in 2020.

This is not the first time such an idea has been tried. In February 1999, Russia attempted to mount a giant 25-meter mirror on the Mir space station. However, the folding umbrella-like mirror got tangled with an antenna and was ruined.</s>China is planning to launch its own 'artificial moon' by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas, state media reported Friday. Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, is developing "illumination satellites" which will shine in tandem with the real moon, but are eight times brighter, according to China Daily.

The first man-made moon will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, with three more to follow in 2022 if the first test goes well, said Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society, the organization responsible for the project.

Though the first launch will be experimental, the 2022 satellites "will be the real deal with great civic and commercial potential," he said in an interview with China Daily.

By reflecting light from the sun, the satellites could replace streetlamps in urban areas, saving an estimated 1.2 billion yuan (USD 170 million) a year in electricity costs for Chengdu, if the man-made moons illuminate an area of 50 square kilometers.

The extraterrestrial source of light could also help rescue efforts in disaster zones during blackouts, he added. AFP was not able to contact Wu nor the Tian Fu New Area Science Society to confirm the reports.

As China's space programme races to catch up with that of the United States and Russia, a number of ambitious projects are in the pipeline, including the Chang'e-4 lunar probe - named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology - which aims to launch later this year. If it succeeds, it will be the first rover to explore the "dark side" of the moon.

China is not the first country to try beaming sunlight back to Earth. In the 1990s, Russian scientists reportedly used giant mirrors to reflect light from space in an experimental project called Znamya or Banner.

Chengdu's artificial moon project was announced by Wu at an innovation and entrepreneurship conference in Chengdu on October 10.

In addition to Tian Fu New Area Science Society, other universities and institutes, including the Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, are involved in developing Chengdu's illumination satellites.</s>A Chinese city has hatched a plan to launch an artificial moon into space within the next two years, according to a new report.

Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province, has proposed a plan to launch an artificial moon, or illumination satellite, into space, is reporting. The moon would be eighttimes brighter than the Earth’s actual moon, creating an opportunity for the streets of Chengdu to be illuminated by the satellite instead of street lights.

According to local reports picked up by the , the city has been evaluating the technology behind an artificial moon for years and has tested it enough to feel it’s ready for launch. The artificial moon is made from a reflective coating that can aim the sun’s light back to Earth and cover a span of 6 miles to 50 miles. Officials on the ground can control the diameter of the light to ensure it focuses precisely on the city and nowhere else, according to the report.

If Chengdu can get approval for the artificial moon and actually launch it in space in the next couple of years, the city is hopeful it’ll help it save money on illuminating its streets. The city also believes that tourists would be more likely to visit and see how the moon works during the night, according to the report.

However, you won’t necessarily need to travel to Chengdu to see it: according to the reports, astronomers with telescopes should be able to see it anywhere on the globe.</s>SALT LAKE CITY — Chinese scientists are planning to put an artificial moon into the sky by 2020 as a way to illuminate city streets after dark.

What’s happening: Scientists hope they can hang the artificial moon above Chengdu, the capital city in the Sichuan province, China Daily reports.
• The moon, which would actually just be a glowing satellite, will reflect sunlight back to Earth.
• In fact, scientists think it will be eight times more luminous than the real moon.
• Wu Chunfeng, chief of the Tian Fu New Area Science Society, told China Daily it won’t appear too much brighter than the normal moon.
• “Its expected brightness, in the eyes of humans, is around one-fifth of normal streetlights.”

Flashback: China is not alone. Russia tried launching an orbital mirror back in the 1990s. However, they dropped the project after the mirror didn’t unfold and it incinerated on its way into space, Time magazine reports.

Similarly, Rocket Lab out of the United States launched an artificial star. However, the star reportedly added to artificial light pollution and cluttering of Earth's orbit, The New York Times reports.</s>The new fake moon is known as an 'illumination satellite.'

Chengdu, a city in southwestern China, is planning to launch an artificial moon into orbit over their city as a replacement for streetlights.

According to the Daily Mail, the artificial moon will be capable of throwing light as far as 80 miles away, replacing the need for streetlights in the area. Called an “illumination satellite,” this moon will be capable of being “eight times as bright as the real moon” and will create a “dusk-like glow” over the city.

People’s Daily states that this fake moon will be set for orbit in 2020, according to Wu Chunfeng, chairman of Chengdu Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute Co., Ltd.

According to the Express, the idea stemmed from a concept from a French artist “who imagined placing a row of mirrors on the Earth to reflect the sunlight on the streets of Paris all year round.” The concept has been in development for some years now and the announcement was made after the parties involved were convinced their new illumination satellite would work. The idea was launched during an event in Chengdu on October 10, according to People’s Daily.

However, some people are concerned that there is an ulterior motive behind China’s push to launch an artificial moon into the night’s sky. In addition to the new illumination satellite, China has renewed interest in moon missions and some people are wondering if the two are connected and might possibly be a threat to U.S. space endeavors.

The Drive suggests that China’s interest in moon missions could be part of a multi-faceted drive to countering U.S. capabilities in space. This concern was raised after comments made by Jeff Gossel, the senior intelligence engineer in the Space and Missile Analysis Group at the Air Force’s National Air and Space Intelligence Center, according to Defense One.

While these may be legitimate concerns, it is important to note that these conversations being had are in relation to a Chinese moon probe perhaps being used as an anti-satellite weapon, and not in relation to the artificial moon, or illumination satellite, also being reported currently.

However, there are other concerns. It is also possible this artificial moon will have “adverse effects on animals and astronomical observation,” according to the Daily Mail.

Kang Weimin, director of the Institute of Optics, School of Aerospace, Harbin Institute of Technology, went on the record to explain that the light of the illumination satellite is more similar to lighting conditions seen at dusk, so it shouldn’t affect animals’ routines, according to People’s Daily.</s>Officials have intentions to have a satellite in orbit by 2020 that will be able to reflect light from the Sun onto its streets at night - Pacific Press / Barcroft Media

China is to launch a fake "moon" into space that it hopes will illuminate one of the country's biggest cities.

Officials in Chengdu, a city of 14 million people in China's southwestern province of Sichuan, announced plans to place a satellite in orbit by 2020 capable of reflecting sunlight onto its streets at night, claiming it will be bright enough to entirely replace street lights.

The satellite would use a reflective coating to direct light to illuminate an area on earth of up to 50 square miles, according to Wu Chunfeng, chairman of the city’s Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute.

The launch follows a similar project in 1999 when Russian researchers planned to use orbiting mirrors to light up cities in Siberia, hoping it would be a cheaper alternative to electric lighting.

The scheme developed by Russia used a device called Znamya 2. It was equipped with a 25-metre mirror to illuminate a three-mile wide patch of land. During its first orbit the craft was destroyed following a collision in space. The scheme was abandoned.

In remarks first reported by CIFNews, Mr Chunfeng told a science event in Chengdu that the artificial moon, which has been undergoing testing for several years, will produce at least eight times more light than the real moon.

He did not say how much the project would cost.

Scientists have warned the device could disturb wildlife and disrupt systems that observe the earth’s atmosphere.

However, Kang Weimin, a director at the School of Aerospace at the Harbin Institute of Technology, told CIFNews that the satellite will produce a dusk-like glow, meaning it will not affect animals.</s>The moon may soon have some competition for dominance in the night skies — at least in China.

Scientists in China are planning to launch an “artificial moon” by 2020 to replace street lamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas, state media reported Friday.

The man-made celestial body, which will shine above the Sichuan province capital of Chengdu, will be designed to complement the actual (and original) moon, although it will be eight times brighter, according to China Daily. Essentially an illuminated satellite, the artificial moon will have a reflective coating that can deflect sunlight back to Earth, Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society in Chengdu, told the Chinese paper.

The artificial moon will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, with three more to follow in 2022 if the first test goes well, Wu said. It will reportedly orbit much closer to Earth; about 500 km (310 miles) away, compared to the moon’s 380,000 km (236,000 miles).

This ambitious project, however, is “not enough to light up the entire night sky,” added Wu. “Its expected brightness, in the eyes of humans, is around one-fifth of normal streetlights.”

If the man-made moons illuminate an area of 50 square kilometres, the satellites could help replace street lamps in urban areas, saving an estimated 1.2bn yuan ($170 million) a year in electricity costs for Chengdu, the scientist said.

The moon project has reportedly received approval for trial and demonstration from organizations such as Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, but the likelihood of the lunar launch remains to be seen.

In 2013, the Norwegian town of Rjukan installed a sun mirror to shine light onto the town square during the dark, winter months. In the 1990s, Russian scientists tested a space mirror to deflect sunlight back to Earth.
The China space industry plans to launch the world's first "artificial moon" into orbit by 2020 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center to illuminate city streets after dark.