Four Chinese volunteers on June 17 started a 180-day living experiment in a sealed space capsule, which will test technologies that will support China's deep-space exploration projects.

The volunteers -- three men and one woman -- will live in a sealed capsule in south China's Shenzhen City. Scientists hope the experiment will cast light on how oxygen, water and food can be used and recycled under controlled conditions.

The project has been designed to test the "controlled ecological life support system," which is inspired by technologies used on China's Shenzhou spacecraft.

The 1,340-cubic-meter sealed capsule, which has a floor space of 370 square meters, is divided into eight compartments, including the passenger compartment, resource compartment and greenhouse compartments.

Scientists have cultivated 25 kinds of plants in the capsule, including wheat, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soybeans, peanuts, lettuce, edible amaranth and pak choi. Strawberry, cherry, tomato and horseradish are also on the list.

The plants are part of a larger ecological treatment system that will help regenerate oxygen and water, reducing dependency on outside supplies.

Scientists will also monitor and observe how a hermetic environment affects physiological changes, biological rhythms, sleep patterns and emotional wellbeing.

The Astronaut Center of China launched a call for volunteers in May last year, and selected eight people, including an alternative team, from 2,110 candidates.

Two of the volunteers are from the center.

More than a dozen Chinese and overseas institutions are involved in the experiment, including the Shenzhen-based Space Institute of Southern China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harvard University and the German Aerospace Center. (Xinhua)

China's new launch center plans viewing areas for observation of maiden mission

China's fourth space launch center at Wenchang in Hainan Province, plans eight launch viewing areas for space fans to observe its maiden launch mission.

Components of China's new generation of carrier rocket Long March-7 arrived in Wenchang in May for the planned launch before the end of June.

The Long March-7, a medium-sized rocket using liquid propellant, can carry up to 13.5 tonnes to low Earth orbit. It will transport cargo for China's planned space station and is expected to become the main carrier for space launches.

The Wenchang tourism department said that the city can only provide accommodation for 80,000 tourists and suggested tourists avoid the maiden launch, as there will be more space launches afterwards. By Sunday, all hotels were booked out.

The construction of the Wenchang satellite launch center, which has two launch pads, started in 2009 and was completed in November 2014.

The sea-side resort city boasts both mountain and seaside scenery for spectacular space launch views.

Xue Xiangwen, head of the city's tourist board, said the eight observation areas covering 45 hectares in total can receive a maximum of 25,300 people at a time.

He advised observers to mind safety first. "In cases of abnormal sea conditions or slippery roads, the viewing stations will be closed," he said. (Xinhua)