Chinese researchers are embarking on a bold 180-day experiment to test technologies for future space habitats.
The experiment, which is being conducted in Shenzen, Guangdong Province, features a 1,340-cubic-meter hermetically sealed capsule that will house four volunteers for six months, China Daily reported.
The complex is designed to test the "controlled ecological life support system" researchers developed from the system used in the Shenzhou spacecraft.
To test how essential biological materials like oxygen, water and food can be recycled in an artificially closed environment like those found in space habitats, researchers planted 25 different plants, including potatoes, wheat, lettuce, peanuts, soybeans, and even bok choi.
The garden is part of a larger ecological management system that is designed to help reduce the dependence on supplies brought in from outside.
Aside from conducting ecological experiments, the project will also help scientists study the effects of a sealed-off environment on a person's physiology, including sleep patterns, biological cycles, and emotional well-being.
According to experiment head Li Yinghui, it is hoped that the results of the study will help in the development of new habitats for space exploration and colonization of the moon and other planets like Mars.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government announced that it will be helping to finance non-Chinese payloads and experiments that would be sent to its future space station. According to China Manned Space Agency deputy director Wu Ping, the decision was made to help accelerate the space capabilities of developing nations and further internationalize the program.
Wu made the announcement at the United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Use of Outer Space plenary conference in Vienna, Austria, Space News reported.
China is set to launch the Tiangong-2 space laboratory aboard a Long March 5B rocket in September to serve as a testbed for technologies to be used for the future station. The core module for the said station is set to be launched in 2018.