The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has released a video introducing a concept for a lunar base that will be developed over the next several decades.
CNSA released the video on Wednesday (April 24) as part of the country’s annual Space Day celebrations. This project is known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), jointly announced by China and Russia in 2021.
China is currently leading the lunar base initiative and is seeking to attract international partners for the effort. So far, in addition to China, Russia, Venezuela, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, South Africa, Egypt, Thailand and Nicaragua have joined the initiative, according to Space News.
Related: Artemis isn’t alone: China and Russia also plan to land on the moon
This video features a number of missions, including surface sample return operations, landers and probes, and supporting orbiting satellites. These correspond to the Chang’e 6 and 7 missions, scheduled to launch next month and in 2027, respectively.
Together with Chang’e 8, these will form the basic model of ILRS by around 2028. Next comes communications, power generation, and other infrastructure, which will be built and developed on vast manned lunar outposts.
According to Chinese media reports, the project is envisioned as a comprehensive scientific experiment base that will host interdisciplinary and multipurpose research activities focused on the exploration and utilization of the moon. It will be possible to operate independently for long periods on the lunar surface and in lunar orbit.
“The Moon will serve as a starting point, and an international lunar research station will provide a platform for long-term scientific research, work, and habitation, paving the way for future human exploration into deep space. “It is a technological, material and intellectual treasure trove, ready for future missions to Mars and other distant destinations in space,” Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, said on Wednesday. He told China Central Television (CCTV).
Wu said the ILRS will be built in two phases. In the first phase, a comprehensive science facility with basic capabilities and essential support elements will be built around the lunar south pole by 2035. The second phase will begin construction of a fully equipped, stable, and sizable facility by 2045.
One interesting detail in the video is the presence of a decommissioned NASA space shuttle that appears to take off from its launch pad in the background.
The boom issue has been resolved. CGTN went ahead and slapped their trusty old Blurbar on top of the shuttle https://t.co/GltGw0c17x pic.twitter.com/bkuBT86YaNApril 25, 2024
The Shuttle was retired in 2011, and NASA is largely prohibited from collaborating with Chinese entities and has its own Artemis program, while China also has its own large, reusable launch vehicle for lunar exploration. We are developing.
China marked April 24th in 2016 to commemorate the launch of China’s first artificial satellite, Dongfanghong 1, into space in 1970, and to demonstrate the country’s growing ambitions and values for space. “Space Day.”
