The BLSS is a critical piece of technology required for long-term human stays on the moon or other extraterrestrial bodies, Liu said.

Researchers will evaluate the physical and mental conditions of volunteers, study test results, and explore smaller BLSS equipment which could be loaded onto space labs, and moon and Mars probes in the future.

"The test has important implications for human endeavors to achieve long-term stays outside Earth. The experience, technology and findings will be conducive for future space exploration efforts," said Wang Jun, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering.