China takes the lead, Azerbaijan joins the International Lunar Research Station Program
CTOnews.com, October 9, according to China's Aerospace, the Information and propaganda Center of the National Space Administration, on October 3, 2023, during the 74th International Astronautical Congress held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Li Guoping, chief engineer of the National Space Administration of China and Asadov, director of the Azerbaijani Space Agency, jointly signed the "Joint statement of the China National Space Administration and the Azerbaijani Space Administration on the Cooperation of the International Lunar Research Station." It marks the official accession of Azerbaijan to the International Lunar Research Station program.
According to the joint statement, the two sides will carry out extensive and in-depth cooperation in the demonstration, project implementation, operation and application of the International Lunar Research Station, including joint demonstration of scientific objectives, carrying scientific instruments, scientific and technological experiments, data sharing and analysis, education and training, etc.
According to CTOnews.com inquiry, China took the lead in signing a memorandum of understanding with Russia on cooperation in the construction of an international lunar research station in 2021, followed by the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, South Africa and other countries and institutions.
According to a report in April this year by Academician Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese lunar exploration project and director of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, the International Lunar Research Station will be implemented in three stages:
It is planned to build the basic model by 2028 and carry out experimental verification of lunar environmental exploration and resource utilization.
A perfect type will be built by 2040 to carry out sun-earth-moon space environment exploration and scientific experiments, and to build a magpie bridge integrated constellation to serve manned lunar landing and deep space exploration such as Mars and Venus.
After that, an applied lunar research station was built, which was gradually upgraded from a scientific research experimental station to a practical and multi-functional lunar base.
According to CCTV news, China is speeding up the major scientific project of the International Lunar Research Station, and plans to achieve a manned landing on the moon by 2030.
