HELSINKI — Belarus joined China’s International Lunar Research Station program Monday, following a video conference with the China National Space Administration.
Vladimir Gusakov, chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) and Zhang Kejian, CNSA administrator, signed a joint declaration on cooperation on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) program Oct. 23.
“Based on the joint declaration, the parties will cooperate within the strategy of creating and operating the ILRS,” Belarusian state-owned news agency BelTA reported, citing the press service of NASB.
“The areas of cooperation might be fundamental and applied research in the sector of engineering and technologies for space use, recent materials and electronic component base, training and advanced training of scientific personnel and specialists. By mutual agreement, the parties shall determine other areas of cooperation,” the NASB statement said.
The China-led ILRS project goals to construct a everlasting lunar base within the 2030s, with precursor missions within the 2020s. The initiative is seen as a China-led, parallel project and potential competitor to the NASA-led Artemis Program.
CNSA and NASB agreed to draft a cooperation roadmap to incorporate science and technology projects related to the creation and operation of the ILRS, in accordance with the report.
The Belarus Space Agency operates under the NASB, coordinating space research programs.
The joint declaration follows days after Pakistan officially signed as much as ILRS. Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director for Secure World Foundation, told that Pakistan’s joining has more political than technical relevance.
“Pakistan doesn’t have its own launch capabilities—it is determined by China for that—and Pakistan has only 3 energetic satellites on orbit, while China has over 800,” Samson wrote in an email.
“So by way of it contributing substantively to the ILRS, I’m not entirely certain it would have loads of technical things so as to add. But there’s something to be said for political support and it’s a press release endorsing China’s moon plans if nothing else.”
Samson noted that the case was similar for Belarus, stating that it has only three energetic satellites in orbit. It likewise has long-standing military ties with China. China built and launched the DFH-4-based Belintersat 1 communications satellite to geostationary orbit for Belarus in 2016.
ILRS signatory | Type |
---|---|
China | Country |
Belarus | Country |
Pakistan | Country |
Azerbaijan | Country |
Russia | Country |
Venezuela | Country |
South Africa | Country |
Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) | Inter-governmental Organization |
nanoSPACE AG (Switzerland) | Firm |
International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA, Hawaii) | Organization |
National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) | Institute |
Azerbaijan joined ILRS earlier this month. The variety of recent announcements appears to reflect a plan to draw founding members.
The Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL), under CNSA, stated earlier this yr that China goals to finish the signing of agreements with space agencies and organizations for founding members of ILRS by October.
China is organising a company, named ILRSCO, in the town of Hefei in Anhui province to coordinate the initiative.
The ILRS first emerged as a Chinese proposal within the late 2010s. The project was formalized when China and Russia presented a joint road map for the ILRS in June 2021. Beijing has nevertheless since apparently taken the role of lead of the project since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A recent Chinese presentation on the outline of the ILRS omitted Russian super heavy-launch vehicles displayed in the sooner roadmap.
The U.S. and China are advancing respective Artemis and ILRS lunar exploration plans. The parallel projects highlight a renewed international give attention to the moon and competitively in search of to claim space leadership.
The U.S. is expanding its Artemis Accords, recently adding Germany because the twenty ninth signatory. NASA goals to execute crewed missions around and on the moon no sooner than 2025.
China goals to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, preceded by technology-verification missions in 2026 and 2028. This rivalry suggests a possible emergence of distinct international space industry ecosystems.