China plans manned outpost on moon

China's space authority has announced plans to build a manned scientific research station on the moon.

In a video shown at a ceremony in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, on Tuesday to mark China's Space Day, the China National Space Administration listed the construction and operation of a lunar scientific research station in its development road map for the space sector.

It was China's third Space Day, with the date chosen because China launched its first satellite on April 24, 1970.

"We believe that the Chinese nation's dream of residing in a 'lunar palace' will soon become a reality," the administration said in the video.

The video shows the lunar outpost will have multiple, interconnected tube cabins. One of the facility's major energy sources will be solar power, according to the video.

The administration did not reveal a schedule for the construction and operation of the outpost in the video, which also said China plans to explore the two lunar poles.

It is the first time China has made public a plan for a manned lunar outpost. In November, officials from the administration said at an international space forum in Shanghai that China was studying the feasibility of "a robotic outpost on the lunar surface to conduct scientific research and technological experiments".