China and Russia to build international research station on the moon
- China and Russia will build a lunar station that will be used to carry out a wide range of scientific research, says the China National Space Administration
- Last year, China became the first country in four decades to bring rocks from the moon back to earth
Moscow and Beijing have taken their cooperation on lunar exploration one step further by signing an agreement to build an international research station on the moon.
“The International Lunar Research Station will be a long-term, autonomous and comprehensive scientific experiment base located on the moon’s surface or in lunar orbit that can carry out multidisciplinary and multi-objective scientific research activities such as exploration and utilisation of the moon, lunar observation, foundational scientific experiments and verification of technology,” read the statement.
The agreement was signed by CNSA head Zhang Kejian and Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, a state corporation and Russia’s de facto space agency.
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While the station is touted as a project open to the international community, every phase of development, from planning to operation, will be jointly led by Moscow and Beijing, according to the statement.
