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International Lunar Research Station
The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) (Chinese: 国际月球科研站, Russian: Международная научная лунная станция) is a planned lunar base led by Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced in 2021, aimed to begin construction from 2031. The ILRS will serve as a comprehensive scientific experiment base built on the lunar surface or in lunar orbit that can carry out multi-disciplinary and multi-objective scientific research activities including exploration and utilization, lunar-based observation, basic scientific experiment and technical verification, and long-term autonomous operation.
Roscosmos and CNSA announced that the project will be "open to all interested countries and international partners." In 2021, the project made an effort to engage members of the European Space Agency, but this was considered ended following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ILRS has been contrasted with the US-led Artemis Accords, sometimes described as part of a Second Cold War.
The ILRS construction missions are expected to begin from 2031, and will utilize the super heavy-lift Chinese Long March 9 and Russian Yenisei rockets in development. ILRS will build on the robotic lunar missions of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and Roscosmos' Luna-Glob program. China's 2028 Chang'e 8 mission will test in situ resource utilization for ILRS.
On 9 March 2021, China and Russia signed a “Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation for the Construction of the International Lunar Research Station.” On 16 June 2021, Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) held a joint session in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the auspices of the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), dedicated to the presentation of the Roadmap for the creation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The session was attended by Sergei Saveliev, the Deputy Director General of Roscosmos for International Cooperation and Wu Yanhua, the Vice Administrator of CNSA (remotely).[citation needed]
Roscosmos and CNSA representatives held consultations on a draft declaration in September 2021, together with experts from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Thailand and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. The talks took place behind closed doors. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine was seen as ending these efforts. The China-led ILRS has been contrasted with the US-led Artemis Accords, described as part of a Second Cold War.
In June 2023, two more countries joined the International Lunar Research Station project, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, as well as the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO).[citation needed]
In July 2023, China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Swiss company Nano-SPACE for Cooperation on the International Lunar Research Station project. On the same day, a letter of intent was also signed with the Hawaii-based, non-profit International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawai'i) (which already participated in the Chang'e-3 lander mission) for cooperation on the ILRS initiative, despite earlier restrictions by U.S. Congress limiting American collaboration with the China National Space Administration.[citation needed] ILRS's lab director Wu Weiren also led in-depth talks with officials from France's Thales Group, which considers the possibility for future cooperation with the Chinese space agency.
On July 17, 2023, Venezuela formally joined the ILRS initiative, with its Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities signing an agreement with China's CNSA which, among other things, provided China access to Venezuelan ground stations in support of ILRS missions.
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International Lunar Research Station
The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) (Chinese: 国际月球科研站, Russian: Международная научная лунная станция) is a planned lunar base led by Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced in 2021, aimed to begin construction from 2031. The ILRS will serve as a comprehensive scientific experiment base built on the lunar surface or in lunar orbit that can carry out multi-disciplinary and multi-objective scientific research activities including exploration and utilization, lunar-based observation, basic scientific experiment and technical verification, and long-term autonomous operation.
Roscosmos and CNSA announced that the project will be "open to all interested countries and international partners." In 2021, the project made an effort to engage members of the European Space Agency, but this was considered ended following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ILRS has been contrasted with the US-led Artemis Accords, sometimes described as part of a Second Cold War.
The ILRS construction missions are expected to begin from 2031, and will utilize the super heavy-lift Chinese Long March 9 and Russian Yenisei rockets in development. ILRS will build on the robotic lunar missions of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and Roscosmos' Luna-Glob program. China's 2028 Chang'e 8 mission will test in situ resource utilization for ILRS.
On 9 March 2021, China and Russia signed a “Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation for the Construction of the International Lunar Research Station.” On 16 June 2021, Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) held a joint session in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the auspices of the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), dedicated to the presentation of the Roadmap for the creation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The session was attended by Sergei Saveliev, the Deputy Director General of Roscosmos for International Cooperation and Wu Yanhua, the Vice Administrator of CNSA (remotely).[citation needed]
Roscosmos and CNSA representatives held consultations on a draft declaration in September 2021, together with experts from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Thailand and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. The talks took place behind closed doors. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine was seen as ending these efforts. The China-led ILRS has been contrasted with the US-led Artemis Accords, described as part of a Second Cold War.
In June 2023, two more countries joined the International Lunar Research Station project, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, as well as the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO).[citation needed]
In July 2023, China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Swiss company Nano-SPACE for Cooperation on the International Lunar Research Station project. On the same day, a letter of intent was also signed with the Hawaii-based, non-profit International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawai'i) (which already participated in the Chang'e-3 lander mission) for cooperation on the ILRS initiative, despite earlier restrictions by U.S. Congress limiting American collaboration with the China National Space Administration.[citation needed] ILRS's lab director Wu Weiren also led in-depth talks with officials from France's Thales Group, which considers the possibility for future cooperation with the Chinese space agency.
On July 17, 2023, Venezuela formally joined the ILRS initiative, with its Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities signing an agreement with China's CNSA which, among other things, provided China access to Venezuelan ground stations in support of ILRS missions.
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