Twelve states join Russian-Chinese lunar base project - Roscosmos

MOSCOW. May 28 (Interfax) - Twelve states and international organizations have joined the Russian-Chinese international lunar research station project, Roscosmos Deputy General Director for International Cooperation Sergei Savelyev said.

"As of now, 12 countries, among them the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Pakistan, Belarus, Turkey and some others, have joined our project with the Chinese," Savelyev said at a plenary meeting of the State Duma on Tuesday.

International space organizations have joined the Russian-Chinese project too, he said.

Around 40 countries are taking part in the U.S.-led Project Artemis, Savelyev said. "These are mostly EU members, Western countries," he said.

"As for the possible risk of a split in case our project is joined by unfriendly countries, we do not see such a risk," Savelyev said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the State Duma ratified a Russian-Chinese intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction of an international lunar research station.

Russia and China presented a roadmap for building the joint lunar base in June 2021. They signed an intergovernmental memorandum of mutual understanding on cooperation in constructing an international lunar research station in March 2021.

Roscosmos head Yury Borisov said on May 16 that Russia and China would begin lunar expansion after 2036. He also said in early March 2024 that both countries planned to deliver and install a nuclear power plant on the Moon in approximately 2033-2035.

The Artemis program was made public in September 2020. It aims to take U.S. astronauts to the Moon more than 50 years after the previous mission, build a station in lunar orbit, and prepare for the possible eventual colonization of the Moon.