Russia and China Unite for Ambitious Lunar Research Station Project

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a plan to join China in building the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The project will have sections on the lunar surface and orbit, and on Earth, with construction phases targeted for completion between 2035 and 2045. Several other countries and organizations have joined the initiative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has endorsed a collaborative effort with China to construct the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a groundbreaking space initiative previously announced by the two allied nations.

The official documentation regarding the ILRS was made public on a Russian legal information portal earlier this week, as reported by Russia's state-run Sputnik news agency.

Commenting on the project's timeline, Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China's lunar exploration programme, mentioned that the ILRS will be built in two phases: an initial basic station by 2035 and a fully expanded station by 2045. The station will include segments on the lunar surface, in lunar orbit, and on Earth.