There was an order of the Russian government, in which Roscosmos was instructed to sign a memorandum with the People's Republic of China on the creation of a lunar station. Earlier it became known that Russia was excluded from the expert group discussing the creation of the Gateway station.
The possible abandonment of the ISS in the foreseeable future makes Russia increasingly look for new goals and objectives for the field of cosmonautics. At the same time, complex relations with the West severely limit the "space for maneuver".
China is considered as an alternative partner: as it became known, Russia wants to sign a memorandum with China on the creation of a lunar station. "To accept the proposal of the State Corporation for Space Activities Roscosmos <...> to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on cooperation in the creation of an International scientific Lunar Station," the document posted on the legal information portal says.
©publication.pravo.gov.ru
The Cabinet of Ministers allowed the space agency to make changes to the memorandum, which are not of a fundamental nature. Whether it is an orbital station or a complex on the surface of the Moon, the document does not say. Experts, meanwhile, recall that earlier the Chinese presented the concept of the ILRS station, located near the south pole of the Moon.
Information about the possibility of joint Russian-Chinese exploration of the Moon has appeared before. Last year, a source in the rocket and space industry said that Moscow and Beijing are in talks to build joint bases on the surface of the satellite. The concept can be based on the spacecraft that China and Russia are creating for the exploration of the Moon.
Graphic visualization of the international lunar base
Image Source: Xinhua
China is now actively implementing its lunar program. On November 23, 2020, the Celestial Empire launched the Chang'e-5 return mission to the Moon. This is the first Chinese automatic interplanetary station to be returned, and the first return mission from an Earth satellite since the Soviet Luna-24 station was launched in 1976.
China has also made significant progress in the development of a new-generation manned spacecraft: a prototype of the device was first launched in May 2020. The tests were successful.
Russia has yet to test its new spacecraft, known as the "Eagle" or "Federation". Its first launch may take place around the middle of this decade.
