Russia, the US’s longtime partner in space, is turning to China for its lunar ambitions.
Why it matters: The US and Russia have been awkward partners in orbit for decades, but as the two grow further apart in space, their rift could reshape the geopolitical landscape above the earth – and beyond – for years to come.
- “We are not going to see the same level of cooperation between the United States and Russia, compared to what we saw in the 1990s … when Russia was broken up, went through an economic disaster after the collapse of the Soviet bloc and was desperate , ”Space expert Bleddyn Bowen told me.
Send the news: Last week, China and Russia signed an agreement to work together to develop a lunar research station on the Moon, connecting Russia with a nation that many believe is contrary to American interests in space.
- The memorandum of understanding comes after Russia refused to sign NASA’s Artemis agreements on international cooperation and uses of the moon, and after a Russian official criticized NASA’s plans to build a small space station in a lunar orbit .
- Russia was initially expected to provide an airlock for the small lunar spacecraft, which is part of NASA’s plans to land humans on the Moon, but now “NASA will pursue other options for the airspace provider,” NASA said in a statement. .
The back story: Space relations between the US and Russia began to sour in the early 2010s when Russia annexed Crimea.
- The two countries’ space programs have kept them talking via the International Space Station, but since then, Russia’s public attitude towards the US has changed on space issues, experts say.
- “We have seen a clear change in the cooperation of the Russians in multilateral space forums,” Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation told me. There was a clear increase in the hostility of their language towards anything the US proposed. ‘
The plot: China’s space program and industry are flourishing, with government support and a long-term vision of what the country hopes to achieve. Russian star, on the other hand, fades.
- Russia is losing a significant source of revenue as SpaceX astronauts fly to the space station, ending NASA’s confidence in the Russian-made Soyuz rocket.
- This partnership with China will enable Russia to cooperate with a nation in terms of space, while China will benefit from Russia’s established technical skills.
Just as important, if not, the two powers will jointly have geopolitical weight in shaping international space policy.
- Since Europe, Canada, Japan and others are already cooperating with the US on its lunar plans, this partnership between Russia and China could potentially gain support from other nations if the two countries decide they want partners as well.
What to look for: It is not clear how high the priority the lunar research station Russia-China will have, as China is working in the coming years to build its own space station orbiting the earth.
- The division of labor for the two countries has not yet been set out and a clear source of funding has not yet been announced.
- And experts say the door is not necessarily closed for the US and Russia to work with each other in space in the future.