China plans to establish a village on the moon with Europe's help by 2036. Now, in a step towards that goal, the nation has created a'Lunar Palace' on Earth to simulate living in isolated conditions on the moon. Four students from the astronautics research university Beihang yesterday entered the 160-square-metre (1,720-square-foot) cabin, dubbed the'Yuegong-1'. Groups of volunteers will live in a sealed lab simulating a lunar-like environment as Beijing prepares for its long-term goal of putting humans on the moon by 2036. Two groups of four volunteers from Beijing's astronautics research university will live in a simulated space cabin, measuring 160 square metres (1,720 square foot), over the next year.