Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law Russian participation in the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The planned lunar base is led by Russia’s Roscosmos and China’s National Space Administration (CNSA).
Nine other nations have joined the planned ILRS — Venezuela, South Africa, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Belarus, Egypt, Thailand, Nicaragua, and Serbia. The ILRS construction phase is planned to begin in 2026, with crewed lunar-research missions planned to start in 2036. China recently sent lunar probe Chang’e 6 to test lunar soil in preparation for construction, and Roscosmos announced last month that it is developing a nuclear power plant for the ILRS.
The federal law signed by Putin ratifies the 2022 agreement between Russia and China:
Ratify the agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on cooperation in the field of creating an International Scientific Lunar station, signed in the city of Moscow and the city of Beijing November 25, 2022.
