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Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping sealed in March a reinforcement of economic cooperation and gave each other a strong political embrace to row in the same autocratic direction with the purpose of giving a sorpasso to the new world order, increasingly multipolar. A strategic alliance that also looks to space: Putin and Xi are going to build hand in hand a mega station to explore the Moon and search for other habitable planets, in addition to trying to track extraterrestrial life.

It was at a conference in St. Petersburg in 2021 that Russia and China first unveiled their plans to build the so-called International LunarResearch Station (ILRS), which should be operational by 2035, with a station both in orbit and on the surface of the moon, near the satellite's south pole.

An ambitious project of which, after the visit of President Xi to Moscow, more details have come out again thanks to an interview given to several Chinese media by the scientist Zou Yongliao, head of the division of lunar exploration and deep space of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the largest scientific and technological research institution of the Asian giant.

The exploration of the formation will be carried out and will try to answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe.

Zou Yongliao, Chief of the Lunar and Deep Space Exploration Division of CAS

"The main objectives of ILRS will first include studying the evolution of the Moon, so that scientists can build a detailed structural module of the lunar interior," Zou told the Global Times tabloid. "It will also carry out the exploration of star formation and activity, search for planets of habitable origin for humanity in space and try to answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe." Zou added that a series of scientific experiments will also be carried out, such as the cultivation of plants on the lunar surface.

The plan is for the basic structure of the station to be completed before 2028 and to have lunar landers, rovers, power system, communication infrastructure and a human life support system. Before that date, within the so-called reconnaissance phase, three Chinese lunar probes (Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8) and three Russian ones (Luna 25, Luna 26 and Luna 27) will be launched.

Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, gave more details a few days ago: "Chang'e-6 will attempt to retrieve about two kilograms of samples from the lunar pole regions and return them to Earth. Chang'e-7 will land at the moon's south pole to try to find ice and study the environment and shape of the region. Chang'e-8 will explore how to exploit resources at the lunar south pole."

From 2036, with the station already completed, the occupation phase will begin: Chinese and Russian astronauts will be able to live and work on the station, and use it as a first stop on a long road to other space missions, such as searching for other habitable planets.

China, alone, has already presented a project to hunt habitable exoplanets beyond the solar system with a space telescope. The mission, called the Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey (CHES), would use a telescope that would be placed at a location in space not far from Earth known as the L2 point, the same location as NASA's James Webb telescope.

CHES will offer crucial clues to decipher how planets can become the cradle of life

Ji Jianghui, the principal investigator of the project

The purpose is to explore around 100 sun-like stars at a distance of around 32 light-years. "Hopefully, approximately 50 Earth-like planets will be discovered," read a project story published by state television CGTN. "CHES will offer crucial clues to decipher how planets can become the cradle of life," said Professor Ji Jianghui, the project's principal investigator.

In recent years, Beijing has accelerated its space race with milestones such as landing a probe on the far side of the Moon for the first time. That was in 2019. A year later, it sent a robot to the satellite to bring back up to two kilograms of lunar dust and rocks.

With more than 200 rockets launched in the past decade, China continues to make great strides to be the leading space power with its new permanent station, Tiangong, which has three key modules: two research laboratories, Wentian and Meengtian, which were launched in 2022, and the Tianhe module, for crew members to inhabit. put into orbit in 2021. Last summer, Dmitry Rogozin, director of the Russian state space company Roscosmos, raised during an interview with a Chinese television the possibility that the Asian giant and Russia could consider building a "module for Russian use" on this space station.

For the joint station between Beijing and Moscow, scientists from both countries have assured that their project will function only as a mega research base. On the other hand, US officials already expressed concern a few months ago that their strongest rivals could "develop space weapons". That's what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put on the table at a meeting, according to Washington media, who also highlighted China's increasing use of satellites to gather intelligence and intercept communications.

"Senior defense officials discussed how China and Russia's potential development of fractional orbital bombardment systems and space-to-ground weapons could affect U.S. deterrence and strategic stability," was the reading of that meeting to discuss the space alliance between Beijing and Moscow.

  • China
  • Russia
  • Astronomy

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