Russia, China sign program of space cooperation development for 2023-2027

MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - Russia's Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration have signed a program to develop space cooperation from 2023-2027, Roscosmos said in a statement on Thursday.

"A program for the development of space cooperation between Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration from 2023-2027 was signed on November 25," the statement on Roscosmos' performance in 2022 said.

"Later that day, the governments of Russia and China signed an agreement on cooperation in the construction of an international lunar research station (ILRS), which is a major step towards exploration of the natural satellite of the Earth," Roscosmos said.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on December 5 that a Russian-Chinese intergovernmental agreement on an international lunar research station had been prepared for signing.

Roscosmos General Director Yury Borisov said on December 21 that Russia and China had signed an agreement on the joint exploration of the Moon and the construction of a lunar base. He withheld further details.

Chinese Ambassador in Moscow Zhang Hanhui in an interview with Interfax on February 23 that China and Russia had reached consensus on terms of the intergovernmental agreement on a research station on the Moon.

Russia and China signed an intergovernmental memorandum of mutual understanding on cooperation in the establishment of an international lunar research station in March 2021.

Russia and China presented a roadmap for the construction of a joint lunar base on June 16, 2021.