China is planning to create the world’s largest surveillance network in space by bringing the Skynet, the world’s largest video surveillance network, to the Moon to protect its assets on the Moon and monitor activities on the lunar surface.

China’s Eye on the Moon: Skynet 2.0

Skynet (Tianwang) is known as the world’s largest video surveillance network, covering almost every corner of China with over 600 million cameras. China’s lunar surveillance system will leverage lessons learned from Skynet to build and operate an optical surveillance system for lunar research stations.

The foundation of the system will be high-performance security cameras. These cameras will operate in visible light or infrared regions and will be equipped with AI-supported chips.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) states that this system will ensure the security of activities on the Moon. Each camera will weigh only 100 grams and will have the ability to independently identify, locate, track, and target suspicious objects.

However, the large amount of data generated by the cameras will strain bandwidth and data processing capacity. This project aims to develop advanced technologies for data transmission and processing.

Will the security camera network on the Moon be legal?

This initiative parallels China and the United States’ plans to establish international bases at the lunar south pole. Concerns among nations engaged in space exploration arise from the possibility of competition and conflict over the Moon’s limited and potentially concentrated water resources.

International law prohibits placing weapons on the lunar surface, and both countries repeatedly emphasize that their lunar exploration programs are entirely peaceful. How do you think this project could affect the future of human presence on the Moon and in space?

Such questions will likely shape the future of lunar and space exploration. You can share your views in the comments section below.