Where is the site of the first simulated Mars base in China?

Recently, it was reported that the first simulated Mars base in China-Dachaidan Hongya.

This is a simulated Mars base in Hongya, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province (photo taken on August 18). Xinhua News Agency reporter WU GANG photo

Starting from Delingha City, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, we drove more than 200 kilometers to a barren red low cliff. This is Hongya area in Dachaidan, Qinghai Province, where the first Mars village (simulated Mars base) in China will be located.

Just like on Mars.

Hongya is located in the eastern edge of the main distribution area of Ya Dan landform group in Qaidam, which is closely connected with Ya Dan landform group in Qaidam. Chang Xiaojun, director of the office of Chaidan Town of Dachaidan Committee, said that the northwest and west of Hongya area are contiguous Ya Dan landform groups, which is one of the main passages from Dachaidan to Ya Dan landform groups.

Standing on the mound of Chibi, you can see a large area of red in front of you. Colorful mounds and various Danxia landforms are like lonely castles, which makes people feel like they are on Mars. "I thought of this place when I first came here. Too special. " Zhang Qingzhe, a veteran outdoor traveler, looked at the endless desert in the distance and said. As a guide into this no-man's land, he can't remember how many times he has been to this place.

Zhang Qingzhe said that this is also a stop on the West Small Ring Road of Dachaidan outdoor tourist route. Nowadays, the settlement of the simulated Mars base has added scientific and technological charm to this high-quality adventure route and attracted more outdoor enthusiasts to "find out".

This is the starry sky of the simulated Mars base in Hongya area, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province (photo taken on August 18). Xinhua News Agency reporter WU GANG photo

"From a macro point of view, Chibi looks like the landform of Mars." Liu, director of the General Department of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the landform and desert scenery of Hongya area are similar to the surface of Mars, and the good location conditions here have created basic conditions and provided strong support for simulating the landing of the Mars base project. According to the analysis, Chibi is actually a mixture of Ya Dan landform and Danxia landform, and the iron red color of the mound is mainly due to the high iron content in the soil. Due to the influence of seasonal precipitation, runoff formed on the surface has washed into some valleys. This special geographical landform is very similar to the Martian landform with gravel in desert dunes.

Space exploration is the theme.

Liu said that the Mars Village project was built in the context of the continuous development of global Mars exploration activities, combined with local economic and social development and cultural tourism industry planning. It aims to create a creative experience base of "science+science fiction+nature+ecology+culture", and its planning and design concept is to organically integrate scientific research with science fiction, theme sightseeing and holiday, leisure experience and other functions.

The main part of Mars Village consists of two functional areas: Mars community and Mars camp. "Our original intention is to focus on the scientific and technological theme of space exploration, increase the scientific and technological connotation on the basis of traditional cultural tourism projects, and add new highlights to the development of cultural tourism industry."

The project is planned to be designed as a spatial layout of "one village and two districts, which are invisible to each other, connected by natural roads and effectively integrated with the surrounding desert landscape". Through the organic combination of desert terrain, sci-fi architectural image, Mars-themed sculpture and other design elements, the overall project image that is different from the general natural scenic spots and makes people feel that they are about to land on extraterrestrial planets is finally created.

At that time, people can carry out Mars-themed space exploration, leisure and holiday activities and astronomical and aerospace science education activities here through interactive experience and entertaining. In the future, if conditions permit, Mars Village may also provide services for scientific research institutions and conduct research, experiments and simulation training related to space science.

The home of the earth is unparalleled.

This is a simulated Mars base in Hongya, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province (photo taken on August 18). Xinhua News Agency reporter WU GANG photo

Rolling colorful mounds stand on this desert land, and dry rivers washed by seasonal running water alternately form criss-crossing gullies. The long desert is dotted with camel thorns, and driving through it seems to be in the vastness and loneliness of another planet.

At night, the Mars simulation base was silent. According to the local people, if the weather is fine, you can see the long Milky Way here. "When some people blindly aspire to immigrate to Mars, what we have to do is to create high-end experience projects so that the experiencers can truly understand what life in outer space will be like."

Simulating the resident experience of Mars will bring people an important enlightenment, that is, in the vast universe, the earth home where human beings live is unparalleled, and human beings must attach great importance to the protection of the earth environment and the construction of the ecosystem. "Space exploration provides a mirror for human beings to look at themselves. When people stand on the simulated Mars base, they must have a more open universe in front of them. "