How China Will Build A City On The Moon

China is no longer simply talking about going to the Moon—it’s building a real, permanent lunar outpost. As we speak, Chinese missions are already preparing the ground—literally and figuratively—for a future in which humans live both on and below the lunar surface. This isn’t science fiction anymore. It’s a structured, multi-decade plan involving robotics, 3D printing, nuclear power, and underground lunar caves.

But while China’s ambitions are extraordinary, the Moon itself is an incredibly hostile environment. Extreme temperatures, cosmic radiation, meteorites, and the lack of atmosphere transform every small task into a giant challenge. Landing is hard. Building is harder. Living is hardest of all.

In this in-depth guide, we explore exactly how China plans to build a city on the Moon, the technology involved, the timeline, and the obstacles standing in its way.

Why Building a Moon Base Is So Difficult

China’s moon base project sounds bold—but before we can understand how it will happen, we need to understand what makes the Moon such a difficult place to live.

No Atmosphere = No Protection

The Moon has no atmosphere, which means:

No breathable air
No insulation
No protection from radiation
No shield against meteorites

Without an atmosphere, sunlight hits the surface directly. When the Sun is up, lunar temperatures soar to over 120°C, and when the Sun sets, temperatures plunge to below -30°C.

And because the Moon rotates slowly, each day lasts 14 Earth days followed by 14 days of night, creating two-week cycles of scorching heat and freezing cold.

Deadly Cosmic Radiation

Earth is surrounded by a magnetic shield generated by its molten core. The Moon is not.

That means cosmic radiation constantly bombards the surface—radiation levels far too dangerous for long-term human exposure. A simple metal wall isn’t enough. Real protection requires massive barriers of moon soil, rock, or underground shelters.

Frequent Meteorite Impacts

Look at the Moon. It’s covered in craters.
Those aren’t ancient scars—they’re evidence of ongoing meteorite impacts.

Earth burns up most of these rocks in the atmosphere.
The Moon doesn’t.

Anything living on the lunar surface needs strong shielding.

The First Lunar Biology Experiment

In 2019, China tested its first lunar biosphere. A sealed container on the Chang’e-4 lander carried:

Cotton and potato seeds
Fruit fly eggs
Yeast

The cotton sprouted—the first plant ever to grow on the Moon—but was dead within days due to extreme temperature swings. This experiment made one thing clear:

👉 The Moon is brutally inhospitable without artificial protection.

China’s Three-Phase Strategy for a Moon City

China’s lunar plan unfolds in three major phases:

Reconnaissance – robotic exploration and mapping
Construction – autonomous building using lunar materials
Habitation – long-term human presence

We are currently halfway through Phase 1, thanks to the Chang’e robotic missions.

Phase 1 — Robotic Reconnaissance

China’s Chang’e missions have already:

Collected lunar soil samples
Deployed rovers
Captured high-resolution mapping data
Tested biology experiments
Explored the Moon’s south pole

The upcoming Chang’e-7 mission (2026) will include ground-penetrating radar to map underground lava tubes—potential future homes.

Meanwhile, Chang’e-8 (2028) will carry experiments to turn lunar soil into construction materials, moving China into Phase 2.

Phase 2 — Building the First Lunar Base

Now comes the most ambitious part: construction. And China has two major strategies.

Strategy 1 — Building Lunar Bricks from Moon Soil

Chang’e-8 will test a process that creates bricks from lunar regolith.

Here’s how it works:

Robots collect lunar soil
Pack it into containers shaped like bricks
Bake the containers in a high-temperature oven
Produce rectangles, arches, and cubes
Construction robots stack them with mortar

These thick, stone-like blocks offer:

Excellent protection from radiation
Strong shielding against meteorites
Significant insulation from temperature swings

However, lunar brick buildings have one flaw:

👉 They can’t hold internal pressure well.
Since the Moon has no atmosphere, habitats need internal pressurization.
Rectangular walls with sharp edges aren’t ideal—they can crack under pressure.

That’s why China has a more futuristic solution as well.

Strategy 2 — 3D-Printed “Moon Pot” Habitats

China is also developing a 3D-printed lunar habitat known as the Moon Pot Vessel.

This approach prints structures using melted lunar soil mixed with a binder imported from Earth.

Process:

Lay a thick foundation from lunar soil
Heat moon soil to melting point
Mix it with adhesive
3D-print a circular, egg-shaped habitat

The structure includes:

Outer shell
Inner shell
Triangular rib layer

This design mimics an eggshell, which is naturally strong and can hold internal pressure.

Advantages:

Strong enough for pressurized living
Thick layers protect from radiation
No bricks needed
Easy to build upwards in low gravity

The main downside:
The adhesive for printing must be shipped from Earth.

Powering the Moon Base — China Goes Nuclear

A Moon base needs constant, reliable power, especially during the 14-day lunar night. Solar alone isn’t enough.

So in 2025, China and Russia announced plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon.

Russia’s state-owned Rosatom is the world leader in nuclear reactor construction—even building floating nuclear plants in the Arctic—so the partnership makes sense.

Why nuclear works well on the Moon:

A lunar power plant can be cooled simply by placing it in permanent shadow, such as inside a deep crater.
Nuclear waste is less concerning since the surface is already saturated with cosmic radiation.

This nuclear station would be the beating heart of the Moon city—powering everything from 3D printers to life support systems.

Going Underground — China’s Long-Term Plan

Surface habitats are just the beginning.
China wants to go underground, into the Moon’s lava tubes.

What are lunar lava tubes?

They are massive underground tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity.
We know they exist because:

Spacecraft images show collapsed ceilings revealing cavern openings
Radar scans show hollow regions beneath the surface

These caves are ideal for habitats because they:

Block cosmic radiation
Provide natural meteorite protection
Maintain stable temperatures
Offer enormous usable space

Chang’e-7 will scan the south pole to locate the best tunnels for development.

The future could involve an entire lunar city built inside these ancient caves, protected by kilometers of rock.

China's Moon Mission — China’s Moon Mission

Phase 3 — Human Habitation

Once robots build the essential infrastructure, China will send humans.

Between 2031 and 2035, China has scheduled five major lunar landings, each delivering a new piece of the Moon base.

Mission Breakdown

Mission 1
- Establish command center
- Install telecommunications and energy systems
Mission 2
- Deliver scientific research facilities
Mission 3
- Deploy large-scale resource utilization systems
Mission 4
- Run autonomous experiments
- Collect and return samples
Mission 5
- Install astronomy and Earth-observation equipment

When all five missions are complete, China will have its first fully operational International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).

When will Chinese astronauts live on the Moon?

China aims to:

Land astronauts by the end of the 2020s
Begin continuous, long-term habitation by the late 2030s

Unlike Apollo missions, these won’t be short visits.
China wants permanent occupancy.

The Race for Lunar Real Estate

China is not alone.
The United States and partners in the Artemis Program have plans for a competing lunar base.

This sets the stage for a new space race, centered on:

Lunar resources
Strategic south pole locations
Control of ice deposits
Future mining rights

The Moon is becoming the next geopolitically important frontier.

Conclusion — Will China Really Build a City on the Moon?

In short: Yes—if they can solve energy, radiation protection, and automation challenges.

China’s lunar strategy is detailed, multi-phased, and backed by massive investment. Robots pave the way. Construction follows. Humans arrive last. With nuclear power, 3D printing, and underground habitats, China may be on track to create the world’s first long-term lunar settlement.

The 2030s may witness something humanity has never seen:

👉 A real, functioning city on the Moon.

And China plans to build it.

FAQs

1. Why does China want to build a base on the Moon?

China aims to advance scientific research, secure access to lunar resources, develop space technology, and establish a long-term presence that supports future deep-space missions.

2. Where will China build its Moon base?

The base is planned for the lunar south pole, an area believed to contain water ice and abundant in-situ resources essential for long-term habitation.

3. When will China start building the Moon base?

China expects construction to begin in the early to mid-2030s, after the robotic phase is complete.

4. When will Chinese astronauts live on the Moon?

China expects long-term human habitation to begin by the late 2030s.

5. What is the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS)?

The ILRS is China’s proposed permanent lunar research outpost developed with Russia and other international partners.

6. How will China power the Moon base?

China plans to use a nuclear power station built jointly with Russia to provide reliable, long-term energy.

7. Why can’t solar power alone support a moon base?

Because the Moon experiences 14 days of daylight followed by 14 days of darkness, making solar power unreliable without massive storage systems.

8. How will China protect astronauts from radiation?

China is developing thick lunar-brick structures, multi-layered 3D-printed habitats, and underground lava-tube shelters to shield from cosmic radiation.

9. What are lunar lava tubes, and why are they important?

Lava tubes are large underground tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity. They naturally protect against radiation, meteorites, and temperature swings, making them ideal for moon settlements.

10. How will China build structures using lunar soil?

China will use robots and 3D printers to melt lunar soil (regolith) and form it into bricks or print entire habitats layer by layer.

11. What challenges make living on the Moon difficult?

Major challenges include no atmosphere, extreme temperatures, radiation, meteorites, low gravity, and long lunar nights.

12. Will China use robots to build the Moon base?

Yes. Robots will handle nearly all construction, from gathering soil to printing structures, before humans ever arrive.

13. How does this project compare to NASA’s Artemis program?

NASA plans to build the Artemis Base Camp, while China is developing the ILRS. Both aim for permanent outposts but involve different international partnerships.

14. What was China’s first experiment with life on the Moon?

In 2019, the Chang’e-4 mission carried a sealed biosphere where cotton seeds sprouted briefly before being killed by temperature extremes.

15. Could the Moon base eventually support mining operations?

Yes. China expects the lunar base to support resource extraction, including water ice, oxygen, hydrogen, and possibly rare metals in the future.