Russia and China plan to build a nuclear power plant on the surface of the Moon as part of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project. This is stated in the presentation of the chief engineer of the mission, Pei Zhaoyu, presented in Shanghai. informs Reuters.
According to China’s plans, the foundation for the creation of an inhabited object on the South Pole of the Moon should be laid by the automatic station “Chanye-8”, the launch of which is scheduled for 2028. At the initial stage, a landing module, a lunar rover and a robotic system for researching the resources and terrain of the Earth’s satellite will be delivered to the Moon, which will allow choosing a place for a base and landing ships with materials for construction.
The next step involves the creation of a base control center, the organization of transportation of large-sized cargo to the satellite, as well as the launch of orbital modules that will provide power supply, communication and transport functions. A full-fledged station with remote control is planned to be completed by 2036. This was previously reported by Deputy General Director of Roscosmos for International Cooperation Serhii Saveliev. According to him, the goal of the facility will be “conducting multidisciplinary and multipurpose scientific research for the study and development of the Moon.”
Russia and China signed a memorandum of cooperation on the creation of a lunar station in March 2021. In June 2024, Vladimir Putin ratified the relevant agreement. Earlier, the former head of Roscosmos, Yuriy Borisov, stated that Russian specialists had begun the development of a nuclear power plant for the lunar base. According to him, Moscow and Beijing plan to deliver and mount it on the surface of the moon “around 2033-2035”. Borisov also claimed that on the part of Russia, almost all technological tasks for the creation of such an installation have already been solved.
