China may expand its national monitoring system to its proposed lunar outpost, according to a development that sounds like something out of a science fiction film.
China has gained notoriety for its extensive Skynet monitoring network.

The Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Centre of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) stated in a paper published in the Chinese academic journal Acta Optica Sinica on February 22 that “the construction and operation of the optical surveillance system for the (International) Lunar Research Station can draw on the successful experience…of China’s Skynet project.” This was reported by the South China Morning Post.

“600 million cameras, averaging one camera for every two adult Chinese citizens and covering virtually every nook and cranny of the country,” according to the publication, make up the nation’s surveillance system. Similar to this, the Post claims that China’s deployment of networked security cameras will produce a seamless view of the lunar base region. The article goes on to say that the planned base will encircle a substantial portion of the moon, 3.7 miles in radius.

According to the CNSA’s plans, this would enable the country to run the future facility more effectively and enable people back on Earth to monitor regions that require ongoing observation. The Post reports that “AI-driven chips” will be included with the cameras. However, the newspaper notes that there would be challenges in transmitting the large volume of data back and forth, such as bandwidth limitations. In addition, the cameras will operate in harsher environments than those on Earth, particularly in terms of temperature fluctuations.

Nonetheless, China has frequently come under intense criticism for its monitoring practices. Over the years, a number of critics have brought up privacy and security concerns, problems that will only get worse with growing use. It is unclear how the plan will be received by the public, despite the fact that a lunar outpost would probably have a very different use case than one within the nation. This is obviously a long-term effort that could influence future lunar development—not only for China.