Chinese businessman wants to put an artificial moon in orbit

A Chinese businessman conceived the project of launching an artificial Moon to get rid of lampposts and save electricity.

Streets lit by an artificial moon and not by lampposts? This is the project of a Chinese businessman, who wants to give life to an original idea of Wu Chunfeng, chairman of the Research Institute of Microelectronic Systems of Science and Aerospace Technology Chengdu. According to a local media outlet, People's Daily, preliminary tests have been successfully conducted and a launch would be possible as early as 2020.

A glow similar to twilight

Chengdu, a Chinese city of 14 million people in Sichuan province, may soon be without its many streetlights. The one known for being the city of hibiscus is the target of the rich businessman, who wants him to enjoy an artificial moon with surprising capabilities.

The satellite, designed to complement our natural and computer-controlled satellite, should clear a brightness eight times higher than that of the real Moon. A sufficient power to replace public lighting. The project could theoretically illuminate an area with a diameter between 10 and 80 kilometers.

A controversial project, obviously …

On site, some people are worried about this project, which could disrupt animals and prevent astronomical observation. In response, the director of the Harbin Institute of Optics, Kang Weimin, said the glow of the artificial moon would be similar to twilight, and should not affect animals and their environment.

In Norway, a similar project was launched in 2013. To illuminate the Norwegian city of Rjukan, deprived of its sunshine in winter, the authorities had installed three mirrors controlled by computer. But the location (on Earth) and the costs are in no way comparable to what could be the creation of an artificial moon.