China's planned lunar research station ushers in new era of global space collaboration

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(Xinhua) 09:13, September 07, 2024

* China's ambitious initiative to construct an international lunar research station (ILRS) is paving the way for a new era of global space collaboration, drawing in developing countries without their own space missions and igniting widespread enthusiasm for participation.

* The ILRS is a scientific experimental facility designed to be an expandable and maintainable system capable of long-term robotic operation with short-term human participation on the moon.

* The Chang'e-7 lunar exploration mission, scheduled for launch around 2026, will carry six international scientific instruments. Chang'e-8, targeting a launch around 2028, will offer 200 kilograms of international payload capacity.

HEFEI, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's ambitious initiative to construct an international lunar research station (ILRS) is paving the way for a new era of global space collaboration, drawing in developing countries without their own space missions and igniting widespread enthusiasm for participation.

In 2017, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) officially launched the ILRS cooperation initiative to the international community. To date, over 40 institutions from across the world have signed cooperation documents with China.

BEIJING, Sept. 6, 2024 (Xinhua) -- China National Space Administration and its counterpart in Senegal sign an agreement on International Lunar Research Station cooperation during the 2nd International Deep Space Exploration Conference in Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 5, 2024. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

China's Deep Space Exploration Lab inks memoranda of understanding (MOU) with international organizations during the 2nd International Deep Space Exploration Conference in Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 5, 2024. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

The ILRS is a scientific experimental facility designed to be an expandable and maintainable system capable of long-term robotic operation with short-term human participation on the moon.

The project will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will see a basic facility built by 2035 in the lunar south pole region, while the second phase aims to establish a network connecting the moon's south pole, equator and far side by 2050.

CONCERTED EFFORTS

Wu Weiren, director and chief scientist of Deep Space Exploration Lab (DSEL), said at an ongoing space conference in east China's Huangshan city that the ILRS adheres to the principles of mutual consultation, joint construction and shared benefits to foster collaborative efforts with global partners.

The 2nd International Deep Space Exploration Conference is held in Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 5, 2024. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

Speaking at the conference, Wu Yanhua, chief designer of the country's major deep space exploration project, extended an invitation to nations worldwide to participate in the two-phase program at various levels, including concept study, equipment, system and even mission levels.

Wu Yanhua also announced that China is planning to establish multiple international organizations, including a cooperation committee, an expert consultative committee, a tech innovation alliance, a science alliance and a coordination headquarters, to enhance global collaboration efforts.

Following the successful operation of payloads from the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Italy and Pakistan in China's Chang'e-6 mission, the country's Chang'e-7 lunar exploration mission, scheduled for launch around 2026, will carry six international scientific instruments. Chang'e-8, targeting a launch around 2028, will offer 200 kilograms of international payload capacity. Chang'e-8 and Chang'e-7 will finally be part of the basic model of ILRS.

This image taken from video animation at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on June 25, 2024 shows the returner of the Chang'e-6 probe landing on Earth. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Ayman Ahmed, senior director of space program at the Egyptian Space Agency, proudly introduced an AI-enabled camera at a seminar during the two-day conference on Friday. This camera, set to be part of the Chang'e-7 mission, is currently in the testing phase, supported by the Changchun Institute of Optics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

ILRS is a space program that aims to provide "a synergy in international lunar exploration on the basis of the set of complex research facilities on and around the Moon," said Dmitrii Zarubin, an engineering fellow of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Russia's payload PmL-Ch7 is slated to be brought into orbit by Chang'e-7, according to Zarubin.

"Free riding plus data sharing is the selection principle and cooperation philosophy," said Han Siyuan, an official of the CNSA, on Friday.

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