A small step for China: Mars base for teens opens in desert

Surrounded by barren hills in northwest Gansu province, “Mars Base 1” opened to the public on Wednesday with the aim of exposing teens — and soon tourists — to what life could be like on the planet.

The facility’s unveiling comes as China is making progress in its efforts to catch up to the United States and become a space power, with ambitions of sending humans to the moon someday.

The white-coloured base has a silver dome and nine modules, including living quarters, a control room, a greenhouse and an airlock.

The teenagers don spacesuits and go on treks in the desert, where they can explore caves in the martian-like landscape. The closest town is Jinchang, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) away.

The company behind the project, C-Space, plans to open the base — currently an educational facility — to tourists in the next year.

C-Space had help from the Astronauts Centre of China and the China Intercontinental Communication Centre, a state television production organisation, in its quest to create a realistic environment.

While teenagers pretend to be on Mars, China is planning to send a probe to the real Red Planet next year.