— Ch. 1 · Founding Agreements And Partnerships —
International Lunar Research Station.
~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 5
On the 9th of March 2021, China and Russia signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding cooperation for the construction of the International Lunar Research Station. This document established the legal framework for Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration to lead the project together. A joint session held on the 16th of June 2021 in St. Petersburg presented the Roadmap for creation during the Global Space Exploration Conference. Sergei Saveliev from Roscosmos and Wu Yanhua from CNSA attended this meeting remotely or in person to discuss the initial terms. Consultations on a draft declaration took place behind closed doors in September 2021 with experts from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Thailand, and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. The partnership expanded significantly by June 2023 when the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan joined the initiative alongside the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization. Venezuela formally joined on the 17th of July 2023, signing an agreement that provided China access to Venezuelan ground stations. South African National Space Agency CEO Humbulani Mudau signed an agreement with Chinese Ambassador Chen Xiaodong on the 1st of September 2023. Azerbaijan entered the program on the 3rd of October 2023, through Azercosmos director Samaddin Asadov at the 74th International Astronautical Conference in Baku. Thailand applied to join in April 2024 and subsequently became a signatory while Turkey remains pending.
Technical Architecture And Facilities
The planned base will function as a complex experimental research facility constructed on the lunar surface or in lunar orbit. It is designed to support multi-discipline scientific activities including exploration, use of the Moon, observation, fundamental experiments, and technology verification. A Cislunar Transportation Facility will handle round-trip transfers between Earth and the Moon including descent, landing, ascent, and return operations. Long-term Support Modules will operate various functions directly on the lunar surface for sustained activity. The Lunar Scientific Facility supports both in-orbit and surface experiments conducted by international partners. Ground Support Operations include data centers and application facilities located on Earth to manage mission control. Plans reported in May 2024 indicated Russia was considering nuclear energy systems to power the station. This infrastructure aims to enable long-term uncrewed operation with the prospect of future human presence. The design allows for modular expansion where new units can be added as missions progress from reconnaissance to utilization phases. Each module serves specific objectives ranging from sample collection to astronomical observation capabilities.