Russia, China agree to build lunar station together
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Russia has signed a memorandum of understanding with China to construct a joint lunar space station, the national space agency, Roscosmos, announced.
The station is envisioned as a “complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the moon,” according to a statement from Roscosmos.
🇷🇺🌔🇨🇳 Глава Роскосмоса Дмитрий Рогозин и руководитель КНКА г-н Чжан Кэцзянь подписали Меморандум о взаимопонимании между Правительством КНР и Правительством РФ о сотрудничестве в области создания Международной научной лунной станции.
The countries have agreed to cooperate closely on designing, implementing, and presenting the project, according to the statement.
China’s ambassador to Russia confirmed the agreement, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.
Russia’s move comes as it loses its monopoly over trips to the International Space Station following the US SpaceX mission launch.
The announcement came hours after France’s space studies organization, CNES, reported that Paris and Beijing were committed to cooperating in the space exploration field, according to Reuters.
Russia also cooperates with the US when it comes to space exploration. NASA is currently planning to build a lunar station in cooperation with Japan, Canada and Europe.
