Artificial sun kindles prospects for mission to Mars

China's space scientists have developed the country's largest sun simulator, which is expected to boost its effort to operate rovers on other planets.

With a diameter of 5 meters, the device is capable of providing illumination stronger than natural sunlight and will be used to test the reliability of China's space probes and planetary rovers, according to the instrument's developer, Beijing Institute of Environmental Features, which sent a news release to China Daily on Sunday.

The institute, part of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, says artificial suns are widely used in tests and measurement of solar batteries, radiation-resistance tests of spacecraft materials and heat balance tests for spaceships.