China' Chang'e 3 Lunar Probe (Photo : Getty Images)
A potential future destination for tourists may rise on the moon as China and Europe are collaborating on a project to build a village on the moon, according to the Mirror.
The report said that the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to send robots to the moon to start building a village in the 2020s, while China National Space Administration (CNSA) has signified its intention to bring their expertise to the project.
Tian Yulong, secretary-general of the CNSA, confirmed that talks about the China-Europe cooperation are ongoing, which include plans to build an international village on the moon.
According to Jiao Weixin, a professor at the School of Earth and Space Sciences at Peking University, the could eventually develop into a city and become a favored destination for lunar tourism.
Jiao said that China's intention to collaborate on the project shows that it is willing to work with other countries for the benefit of the whole world.
China, which aims to become a major space power, has an advanced aerospace industry and space infrastructure.
The country has shown its space capabilities through numerous space missions in the past years. In 2016, China launched more than 20 space missions, surpassing the 15 missions it had carried out in the previous year.
Last year, China also successfully completed sending three astronauts to dock with the Tiangong space laboratory, where they carried out several scientific experiments before returning to earth.
By the end of this year, China's Chang'e-5 lunar probe will be able to accomplish its mission to collect rock samples on the moon. China's first probe will land on the dark side of the moon next year.
The country's key space plan for 2020 includes various manned space programs, launching of lunar probes, a navigation satellite system and an observation satellite program.
Based in Paris, the ESA has 22 member-states and employs about 2,000 people worldwide, and has an annual budget of about £4.5 billion.
The last landing on the moon occurred in 1972 during the U.S.'s Apollo 17 mission.
