France will consider joining the Russian-Chinese international lunar research station project, the Russian state space agency Roscosmos announced on Tuesday.
Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin talked about outlooks for cooperation with his French counterpart, Philippe Baptiste, of the French government space agency CNES.
They “touched upon issues related to France’s possible participation in the Russian-Chinese initiative to build an international scientific lunar station,” a statement read.
“The sides agreed that CNES will initiate a detailed internal discussion of the issues raised today, with the participation of all interested Russian and French organizations,” it added.
Russia and China plan to build the moon station by 2035. They will launch several moon landers starting this year to find the best site somewhere near the lunar south pole. The construction will begin after 2026.
Russia, China Collaborate On Lunar Base
Earlier, the heads of the Chinese and Russian space agencies signed an MOU on the development of an international lunar research station.
Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and Dmitry Rogozin, General Director of Russian space agency – Roscosmos, signed the document during a virtual meeting on March 9, 2021.
Statements from Roscosmos and CNSA underline that the project will be “open to all interested countries and international partners.”
The International Scientific Lunar Station is a complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the Moon, designed to carry out multidisciplinary and multipurpose research work, including the exploration and use of the Moon, lunar observations, fundamental research experiments and technology verification with the possibility of long-term unmanned operation with the prospect of a human presence on the moon, a press release from Roscosmos noted.
Within the framework of the project for the creation of the Lunar Station, Russia and China, using their experience in the field of space science, the creation and use of space technology and space technologies, will jointly develop a Roadmap for the creation of the lunar station, as well as conduct close interaction in planning, justification, design, development, implementation, operation the project for the creation of the lunar base, including its presentation to the world space community.
Russia and China traditionally strive to develop cooperation in the field of space technologies, space science and the use of outer space.
To date, within the framework of interaction in the field of lunar and deep space exploration, an Agreement has been signed and is being successfully implemented between the Roscosmos State Corporation and the Chinese National Space Administration on cooperation in the framework of coordination of the Russian mission with the Luna-Resurs-1 orbital spacecraft and the Chinese research mission the polar region of the Moon “Chang’e-7”, as well as the Agreement between the State Corporation “Roscosmos” and the Chinese National Space Administration on cooperation in the creation of a joint data center for the exploration of the Moon and deep space.
With Inputs from Sputin & Tass
