What’s new: China and Russia have issued a joint plan to build an international lunar research station.
China’s National Space Administration and Russia’s space agency Roscosmos released the International Lunar Research Station Roadmap and Guide for Partnership on Wednesday at the Global Space Exploration conference being held this week in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The documents include proposals for cooperation with other countries and international organizations in the research, design, development, implementation and operation of the planned International Lunar Research Station, according to the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The background: China has invested heavily in space research in the past decade, and in December, China’s Chang’e 5 moon probe brought back to earth the first new lunar samples since the 1970s.
The international lunar research station is expected to orbit the moon, carrying out research activities including exploration of the moon surface.
The joint announcement from China and Russia came just a day after Brazil became the 12th nation to join the Artemis Accords, U.S.-led efforts to explore the moon that include plans to send astronauts there by 2024.
Contact reporter Cai Xuejiao (xuejiaocai@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com)
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