Japan begins research to make Moon habitation reality

Japan is taking steps toward making life on the Moon a reality, with Kyoto University and construction giant Kajima Corp teaming up to develop a lunar habitat that generates artificial gravity, local media reported on Dec. 22.

The "Neo Lunar Glass" project aims to create a paraboloid structure capable of mimicking Earth-like conditions by using rotation to generate gravity. A ground-based prototype is expected to be completed by the 2030s, according to Kyodo News.

"This project demands a significant technological leap, but we aim to achieve it and pave the way for space colonies," said Yosuke Yamashiki, a professor of advanced integrated studies in human survivability at Kyoto University.

The Lunar Glass structure will be approximately 200 meters in diameter and 400 meters high, capable of housing up to 10,000 people, according to the agency.

The project is expected to be launched in the current fiscal year.

Private companies such as Elon Musk's SpaceX, Blue Origin and Astrobotic are working alongside government agencies like NASA and the Eruopean Space Agency to develop new technologies for sustainable lunar operations.

Analysts project that the lunar economy could grow into a multi-billion-dollar market within the next two decades.