Moscow. May 21. INTERFAX-The logical continuation of the International Space Station (ISS) project will be the creation of international bases on the Moon and on Mars, according to SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
"I think that the space station has an important function, that cooperation in space is very important, but we need not get stuck on some issues. The next logical step is for us to have a base on the Moon, and for us to build a city on Mars, " Musk said at the New Knowledge marathon.
On March 9, the state corporation "Roscosmos" reported that Russia and China signed a memorandum on the creation of an international scientific lunar station.
On February 12, it was reported that the Russian government accepted the offer of Roscosmos to sign a memorandum of understanding with China on cooperation in the creation of an international scientific lunar station. The corresponding order was signed by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin.
On January 25, it was reported that the Russian side was withdrawing from the American Gateway project. "Based on the results of the elaboration of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation within the framework of the Gateway project, the Russian side decided not to participate in this program," the press service of Roscosmos told Interfax.
According to the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, Russia is not interested in participating in the American lunar program. "We are not interested in this. Russia has its own program of lunar exploration, " Rogozin wrote in Telegram.
Earlier, representatives of Roscosmos stated that the construction of the lunar base was planned to begin in the late 2020s.
On October 19, 2020, Rogozin announced on Twitter that the Russian state corporation and the Chinese National Space Administration had held a video conference on bilateral cooperation, "including the lunar exploration program."
In July 2020, Rogozin reported on negotiations with the Chinese side on the creation of a joint lunar base. According to him, the project can also be open to other countries, including the United States. "The Chinese have grown a lot in recent years, we respect their results, and in principle, they are a worthy partner for us," the head of Roscosmos said at the time.