InternationalLunar

Belarus Joins China’s Moon Base Mission

Image: CNSA

Belarus became the latest country to back Beijing’s mission to build a lunar base on Monday, joining a growing number of international partners who have teamed up with China in orbit. 

The two nations are expected to cooperate on “creating and operating” the Moon base, in addition to deepening partnerships on engineering, new materials science, and training of scientific personnel, according to Belarusian state news agency BelTA.

Lunar vision: China has announced plans to break ground on its International Lunar Research Station in 2028, with the goal of landing a crew on the Moon’s surface by 2030. The scientific-base will enable researchers to study lunar physics and chemistry, conduct medical experimentation on the Moon, and observe both Earth and the cislunar environment from the Moon, according to a Chinese mission guide.

Partnerships: China and Russia are publicly at the head of the ILRS effort, though Russia’s troubled economy, weakened global standing, and decaying space program mean that China is realistically taking the lead. 

Other partners include South Africa, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Venezuela.

The US is working on its own global coalition to cooperate on space and lunar exploration under the Artemis Accords, which has nearly 30 signatories. 

Related Stories
InternationalMilitary

New Report Catalogs Military Capabilities in Orbit

There is a widespread acknowledgement that future conflicts will take place, at least partially, in space.

InternationalSatcom

NanoAvionics to Build Sats for SpinLaunch

The Lithuania-based company will build the satellites—which will be the first batch of a planned 1,200-satellite constellation—in its newly expanded production facilities in Vilnius. 

LunarPolaris

Lunar Startup CEOs Push For ‘CLPS 2.0’

CEOs asked lawmakers to support block buys in CLPS 2.0 to give industry the opportunity to purchase materials in advance, providing certainty in both the supply chain and the workforce. 

Deep SpaceInternational

Airbus to Build ExoMars Landing Platform

ESA has tapped Airbus to build a landing platform for Europe’s beleaguered ExoMars rover as the delayed mission hopes to reach Mars in 2030.