Earlier, The Washington Post reported that the plans of China and Russia for a lunar research station are a sign of the creation of an alliance between Moscow and Beijing against the West
MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. The plans of Russia and China to cooperate on the creation of a lunar science station are not directed against the West, they are open to the participation of other countries. This was announced by the Director General of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin.
"It's not like that. Russia and China's Moon plans are open to broad international participation. This is not about confrontation, but about cooperation in the exploration of the Moon, " Rogozin wrote in his Telegram channel in response to the publication of The Washington Post columnist, which reported that the plans of China and Russia for a lunar research station are a sign of the creation of an alliance between Moscow and Beijing against the West.
On March 9, Roscosmos and CNSA announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the creation of an International Scientific Lunar Station (ISS). The signing ceremony was held via videoconference. Russia and China plan to use their joint experience and scientific technologies to create a roadmap for the construction of an international research station on the moon. As follows from the statement, cooperation between the two countries in this area involves both the study of the lunar surface and the implementation of joint projects in the orbit of a natural satellite of the Earth.
In November 2017, Roscosmos and CNSA signed a program of cooperation in the field of space for 2018-2022. It includes six sections, including the study of the Moon and deep space, space science and related technologies, satellites and their applications, elements and materials, cooperation in the field of remote sensing data, and other topics. Working subgroups were created to implement projects under this program.
In July 2020, Rogozin reported that he had discussed cooperation in space with Chinese partners, including on the lunar scientific base. He spoke about the agreement to begin steps towards each other precisely to determine the contours and significance of the lunar scientific base. In December 2020, at a round table in the Federation Council, Rogozin said that in June, the Chinese side proposed to involve Europe in cooperation on the development of the Moon. In early February, Roscosmos Deputy Director General for International Cooperation Sergey Savelyev told TASS that Roscosmos is discussing with colleagues from China possible scientific tasks for a base on the moon and is working on the technical implementation of the project.
