Shooting for the moon

China's artificial moon project could be a game changer

In comparison to the various dynasties of the Middle Kingdom that built grandiose infrastructure such as the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, the present-day rulers of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) do not seem to be far behind their imperial predecessors. The creation of an artificial moon should not come as a surprise. The PRC has accomplished many impressive engineering feats. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, for example, runs 2,000 km across challenging terrain at heights of above 5,000 metres. The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest. The PRC also has a big space footprint, with working space labs,