<p>China wants to start building a lunar base using soil from the moon in five years, Chinese media reported, with the ambitious plan kicking off as soon as this decade.</p>.<p>More than 100 Chinese scientists, researchers and space contractors recently met at a conference in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to discuss ways to build infrastructure on the moon, local media reported.</p>.<p>Ding Lieyun, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said a team is designing a robot named "Chinese Super Masons" to make bricks out of lunar soil, according to Changjiang Daily.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/scientists-find-water-inside-glass-beads-on-the-moon-1204132.html" target="_blank">Scientists find water inside glass beads on the Moon</a></strong><br /> </p>.<p>"Building a habitat on the moon is needed for long-term lunar explorations, and will certainly be realised in the future," Ding said, while acknowledging the difficulty of achieving it in the short term, according to the report.</p>.<p>The robot tasked with making the "lunar soil brick" will be launched during China's Chang'e-8 mission around 2028, Ding said, adding that the country is aiming to retrieve the world's first soil sample from the far side of the moon in a mission around 2025.</p>.<p>China previously retrieved soil samples from the near side of the moon with its Chang'e-5 mission in 2020, state media reported.</p>.<p>The country has stated that it wants its astronauts to stay on the moon for long periods once it establishes a lunar research station.</p>.<p>Ding and dozens of experts were attending the Extraterrestrial Construction Conference held at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan this past weekend.</p>
<p>China wants to start building a lunar base using soil from the moon in five years, Chinese media reported, with the ambitious plan kicking off as soon as this decade.</p>.<p>More than 100 Chinese scientists, researchers and space contractors recently met at a conference in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to discuss ways to build infrastructure on the moon, local media reported.</p>.<p>Ding Lieyun, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said a team is designing a robot named "Chinese Super Masons" to make bricks out of lunar soil, according to Changjiang Daily.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/scientists-find-water-inside-glass-beads-on-the-moon-1204132.html" target="_blank">Scientists find water inside glass beads on the Moon</a></strong><br /> </p>.<p>"Building a habitat on the moon is needed for long-term lunar explorations, and will certainly be realised in the future," Ding said, while acknowledging the difficulty of achieving it in the short term, according to the report.</p>.<p>The robot tasked with making the "lunar soil brick" will be launched during China's Chang'e-8 mission around 2028, Ding said, adding that the country is aiming to retrieve the world's first soil sample from the far side of the moon in a mission around 2025.</p>.<p>China previously retrieved soil samples from the near side of the moon with its Chang'e-5 mission in 2020, state media reported.</p>.<p>The country has stated that it wants its astronauts to stay on the moon for long periods once it establishes a lunar research station.</p>.<p>Ding and dozens of experts were attending the Extraterrestrial Construction Conference held at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan this past weekend.</p>