Chinese researchers have developed sturdy, egg-shaped igloos intended for lunar colonization.

As China continues to pursue its moon colonization ambitions, scientists are focusing on the issue of extraterrestrial real estate.

Far from a futuristic space-age city, the designs for lunar dwellings suggest a more dystopian aesthetic. The initial sketches of a moon colony depict a group of grey, egg-shaped igloos, with miniature astronauts interspersed as if returning home, reports the Daily Star. 

Ding Lieyun, the leader of the team that produced the mock-ups, explained to Chinese state television that these egg-like habitats take into account the Moon’s harsh conditions, scarcity of raw materials, a temperature range with a 300C variation, and the risk of cosmic radiation.

He said: “These factors make lunar construction an exceptionally challenging, super-engineering endeavour.”

Beijing seems to be taking the reins in the space race, landing more crafts on the moon than the US, which also harbors ambitions of establishing a lunar civilization.

Over the past 11 years, China has successfully landed four spacecrafts on the moon, compared to just one by the United States. By 2035, China aims to establish a manned moon base.

In preparation for their lunar colonization efforts, China has retrieved moon dust from previous missions, which is used to create bricks.

These bricks are transported to the Tiangong space station for testing to determine if they can endure the conditions there. If successful, these could literally form the building blocks of space civilization.