Humans on Moon: China plans to install simulated space cabins on lunar surface to extend duration of stay

China has plans to put people on the surface of the moon for extended periods within next two decades as Beijing advances its space programme. It plans to install simulated cabins on the lunar surface with an aim to increase the duration of stay for humans. President Xi Jinping has called for China to become a global power in space exploration, with plans to send a probe to the dark side of the moon by 2018 and put astronauts there by 2036.

Chinese volunteers will live in a simulated space cabin "Yuegong-1" for up to 200 days to experience life on moon.

"While it remains unclear exactly how long China's first lunar explorers will spend on the surface, the country is already planning for longer stays", reports said.

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The system, called the Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS), allows water and food to be recycled.

Liu Zhiheng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said, "The latest test is vital to the future of China's moon and Mars missions and must be relied upon to guarantee the safety and health of our astronauts".

The Yuegong-1 cabin has a central living space the size of a "very small urban apartment" and two "greenhouses" for plants.

In March, China announced plans to launch a space probe to bring back samples from the moon this year, while the country's first cargo space craft docked with an orbiting space lab in April, a major step as Beijing looks to establish a permanently manned space station by 2022.

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Even though China has made big advancements in its space programme for military, commercial and scientific purposes, it still lags behind the United States and Russia.