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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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.