This new satellite will be made of a reflective material so it can work in tandem with the light from the moon. When placed in orbit and operational, it will be eight times brighter than the Earth’s moon but only one-fifth as bright as street lamps. If everything goes according to plan, up to 50 square kilometres of land will be illuminated by China’s new artificial moon. With this novel method of illuminating the city’s streets, the scientists hope to reduce electricity costs by 1.2 billion yuan (Rs 12.6 billion approx). 

The project is being carried out by Tian Fu New Area Science Society. According to its head, Wu Chunfeng, the first of these artificial moons will launch from Sichuan's Xichang Satellite Launch Centre by 2020. Three more will follow in 2022 if the tests on the first moon go well. According to him, this source of light could save lives in disaster zones during blackouts.