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Technology used in lunar mission is applied in Xinjiang to curb sand advancement, protect agricultural lands, and reinforce Chinese projects against desertification, erosion, and soil salinization
China is using basalt fibers, technology already tested in a lunar mission, to protect agricultural lands from desertification in Xinjiang. The initiative is part of new projects aimed at controlling sand, erosion, and soil salinization.
Basalt fibers arrive in the desert
The actions were initiated last month by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, linked to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The programs aim to reinforce the ecological barrier that protects agricultural areas in western China.
Xinjiang continues as a testing ground for the great green wall, a decades-long campaign against the transformation of fertile lands into desert. The pressure comes from climate change and human activity.
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The most recent campaign targets the Taklamakan Desert, the largest in China and one of the largest quicksand deserts in the world. The plan combines drought-resistant vegetation and artificial barriers.
Lunar material against the sand
Among six new ecological materials are solutions made with basalt fibers, produced from melted volcanic rock. Researchers claim they can stabilize the sand and limit the advancement of dunes.
The same type of material was in the Chang’e 6 mission, which in 2024 brought samples from the far side of the Moon. The Chinese flag used in the mission was made with basalt fiber.
Wuhan Textile University reported that the material was chosen to withstand extreme temperature variations and ultraviolet radiation. The fiber is obtained by heating basalt rock and drawing the molten material through microscopic nozzles.
Agricultural soil under pressure
The projects also use fly ash, a residue from coal-fired power plants repurposed in construction materials. Pei Liang stated that the solutions could increase the efficiency of the works by 50% and reduce costs by 30%.
In Xinjiang, authorities are trying to convert desert and saline soils into productive areas. In the south of the region, Xiao Huijie leads a study on wind, salinity, and agricultural productivity.
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