
China unveils colossal Mars imitation base camp in Gobi desert - gscott
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1146572.shtml
======
sonnyblarney
This looks like a tourist attraction, or something prepared to inspire people,
not like a true 'test base'.

~~~
sefzig
You are right, they state that themselves here:
[https://youtu.be/4MORdducpVw](https://youtu.be/4MORdducpVw).

------
ghevshoo
Website seems down. Found this link which has some pretty interesting
information.

[https://gbtimes.com/a-first-look-at-chinas-mars-
simulation-b...](https://gbtimes.com/a-first-look-at-chinas-mars-simulation-
base-out-in-the-gobi-desert)

------
Havoc
Must says I was expecting something bigger from "China + colossal"

~~~
simonh
For a first phase of construction it looks huge. That central dome is three
stories high and all the buildings apart from the vehicle garage are two
stories. There appear to be more buildings behind the dome as well. However on
that basis, it doesn't look all that realistic.

------
ape4
I real base would be underground to avoid radiation.

~~~
A2017U1
Radiation isn't really as much of a problem as popsci media makes it out to
be. Go look at all the plans by The Mars Society, most usually have water
storage doubling as a radiation shelter for solar storms and not much else.

~~~
espadrine
The main radiation risk happens during the trip.

See
[https://science.sciencemag.org/content/340/6136/1080](https://science.sciencemag.org/content/340/6136/1080)
and
[https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA17601.jpg](https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA17601.jpg).

~~~
etaioinshrdlu
Log scale... You appear to get 6.5x the annual safe limit in 500 days. It
would be an unacceptable hazards to be exposed to that much radiation on
earth.

~~~
ummonk
Wait, is that all? The safe limit is likely quite conservative, so 5x the
annual safe limit in a year doesn't seem like a big deal.

~~~
etaioinshrdlu
Whether it is a big deal or not, I also misread the graph and it is more like
16x...

------
gregoriol
It looks quite like the base in The Martian movie.

------
sandworm101
And what is the plan for getting it to mars? Cart before horse.

