The Russian space agency Roscosmos and China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) recently agreed to establish lunar outposts on and in orbit around the Moon. This announcement comes as Russia prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Yuri’s Night – the beginning of human spaceflight.
Roscosmos was created in 1991 from the disbanded Soviet space program. The Soviet space agency achieved a number of firsts, including the launch of the first satellite, as well as the first man and woman, into space. In 1971, the USSR launched Salyut 1, the first space station, in orbit around the Earth. The Soviet Union also played a critical role in the development of the International Space Station, as the outpost changed from Ronald Reagan’s original vision of an entire US space station. Freedom.
On February 10, the Tianwen-1 spacecraft arrived at Mars. It was designed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and was the first mission to arrive at Mars with an orbit, lander and rover (although the lander and rover have not yet touched the surface of Mars). In December, a robotic mission from China collected samples of the moon and returned them to Earth for analysis. This was the first time in 40 years that it had been achieved.
‘In the framework of the creation of the ILRS, China and Russia will use their experience in space science, R&D and the use of space equipment and technology to jointly formulate a roadmap for the construction of the ILRS and the close cooperation on planning from to demonstrate, demonstrate, design, develop, implement and operate the ILRS, including promoting the project to the international space communities, ”reports the CNSA.
The space agencies in each country issued statements welcoming the development and sharing their views on the first massive structure built in the lunar orbit.
Each nation is committed to combining their rich experiences in space science, research and the use of space technology to explore Mars and develop an international lunar-based station for scientific research. Both countries will be involved in the planning, design, development and operation of the research station.
“China and Russia are using combined experience and scientific technologies to create a roadmap for building an international research station on the Moon,” CNSA said in a statement on WeChat.
On April 12, the world celebrates Yuri’s Night – the 60th anniversary of human spaceflight, as well as the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the Space Shuttle.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation has lagged behind the US and China in the exploration of the Moon and Mars, and the country wants to play a leading role in space exploration again.
Why a lunar station?
A lunar station can offer many benefits to the space agencies and the people of the countries. This would serve as a practical step between our current capabilities and technologies to colonize Mars one day. A permanent outer position of the moon can serve as a basis for various activities, such as observing the sun and other astronomical objects, studying the earth’s resources and environment, and other bodies in the cosmos.
The construction of such an outpost would provide a research and evidence base for a variety of important advanced technologies and capabilities, including robotics, the use of resources in the situation, resource storage sites, the habitat of the spacecraft units, propulsion in space, optical communications, space addition manufacturing (3D printing), and more.
During the ‘successful failure’ of Apollo 13, the crew of this restless spacecraft took beautiful images of the lunar surface as they turned their sights back to Earth. Here are some of the video footage they took during the rounding of the moon in April 1970. Video by NASA.
The nature of the moon and its resources, such as large amounts of water stored in perpetually shady craters, make it a perfect base for lunar and subsequent Mars missions and other planetary activities.
The construction of an international lunar station would indicate a major breakthrough in transportation, foreign terrestrial resources, power and communications, crew habitats and facilities that would significantly reduce technical and financial risks for missions outside the moon.
And it gives the space programs of the world a much-needed clear, timely and logical next step in the human exploration of space.
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The idea behind the construction of the Lunar Station is to place a permanent human facility on the Moon using proven capabilities and best practices learned from the evolution and operation of the International Space Station.
‘The ISS provides evidence of the feasibility of sustained human occupation and operations in space over decades. It also demonstrates the ability of many countries to work together over a long period of time on a very complex and expensive project in space to achieve a common goal, ‘NASA wrote in a 2014 study on a potential international moon base.
The International Lunar Research Station can support crews of 10-30 people, providing shelter, power, life support, communication and the ability to leave the facility and travel across the lunar surface. According to the agreement, this outpost would be developed mainly by a consortium of public, private and international contributors.
This is not the first time the two countries have worked together on space missions. Moscow and Beijing are also working together on several other lunar and deep reconnaissance projects.
Moving upwards (384,400 kilometers higher)
The community living in the International Lunar Research Station will collaborate and develop and share infrastructure, while also developing their own specific abilities and talents.
Activities can range from scientific research and technology development, exploitation and processing of resources, to human exploration of the Moon and even tourism. This venture would build on lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS), built and used by sixteen countries.
While the budgets for the construction and operation of the lunar station were being considered, program managers looked at the ISS again. The initial effort is likely to come from government-funded programs. In order to share costs, it is helpful that two of the leading countries in the world economy have agreed to pool their resources to build this international lunar science research station.
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ASA plans to return people to the Moon with the Artemis program, a mission currently planned for 2024. When the Apollo missions placed 12 people on the Moon, only the United States and the Soviet Union were able to enable the technology to carry out such a mission. . In the coming years, several countries, including China, as well as some private companies, are likely to have the technology to place humans on the lunar surface.
Currently, the United States spends only half of one percent of the Federal budget on science. The 2020 budget for NASA was just $ 22.6 billion, while the current annual budget for the ISS is about $ 3 billion a year. Roscosmos is funded annually at $ 2.8 billion.
China and Russia estimate that a lunar base will cost about $ 2 billion a year to maintain. Of the costs, about half would be transportation costs, and the rest would finance the payloads and operations. Once the initial station is up and running, additional funding from international and private partners is expected.
One essential technology still needed for the construction and operation of a lunar station is cheap, reliable transportation to the orbit of our planetary companion – and possibly our new home.
This article was originally published on The cosmic companion by Chukwuemeka Aloysius Anigbogu, and James Maynard, founder and publisher of The Cosmic Companion. He is a New England-born desert rat in Tucson, where he lives with his beautiful wife, Nicole, and Max the cat. You can read this original piece here.
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