China and Russia - to jointly build a research base on the moon

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国とロシア、月に共同で研究拠点を建設へ

2021.03.10 Wed posted at 17:53 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 中国の国家宇宙局は９日、ロシアと協力して月に研究拠点を建設する計画で合意したと発表した。

月面や月の軌道上に実験、研究用の複合施設を建設する。

同局とロシアの宇宙開発公社ロスコスモスのトップが、各政府を代表して覚書を交わしたという。

ロスコスモスによると、中ロが建設する「国際月科学研究ステーション」は宇宙の平和利用推進を目指し、どの国でも利用できるようにする。

両国は今後、ステーションの設計、開発、運用を進めるための工程表を作成するという。

中国とロシアはまた、月や深宇宙探査のためのデータセンターを共同で開設することでも合意した。さらに中国が「嫦娥（じょうが）７号」、ロシアが「ルナ２７号」でそれぞれ月の南極を探査する計画でも協力する。

ロシアは旧ソ連時代に米国と宇宙開発のトップを争い、冷戦終結後は国際宇宙ステーション（ＩＳＳ）の建設に参加した。

一方、中国の宇宙開発はスタートが遅れたものの急ピッチで追い上げ、２０１９年には世界で初めて月の裏側に無人探査機「嫦娥４号」を着陸させた。２０年には初めて火星探査機「天問１号」の打ち上げに成功。今年５～６月には火星表面への着陸に挑戦する。

昨年１２月には「嫦娥５号」が月の石を持ち帰った。中国は３０年代までに、月の有人探査を成功させることを目指している。

Translation

(CNN) China's National Space Agency announced on the 9th that it had agreed with Russia to build a research base on the moon.

A complex facility for experiments and research would be constructed on the surface of the moon and on the orbit of the moon.

The China's National Space Agency and the head of Russia's space development corporation Roscosmos were said to have represented their government to respectively signed a memorandum of understanding.

According to Roscosmos, the "International Lunar Science Research Station" constructed by China and Russia could be made available to any country with the aim of promoting the peaceful use of space.

The two countries would prepare a construction time table to move forward with the design, development and operation of the station.

China and Russia had also agreed to jointly open a data center for the Moon and deep space exploration. In addition, China would cooperate in a plan to explore the South Pole of the Moon with "Chang'e No. 7" and Russia with "Luna No. 27".

Russia during the former Soviet Union era competed with the United States for leadership in space development and after the end of the Cold War participated in the construction of the International Space Station (ISS).

On the other hand, although China was delayed in starting the space development, it caught up at a rapid pace, and in 2019, for the first time in the world, landed the unmanned spacecraft "Chang'e 4" on the other side of the moon. In 2020, for the first time it succeeded in launching the Mars probe "Tianwen-1". It would take up the challenge of making a landing on the surface of Mars from May to June this year.

In December of last year, "Chang'e 5" brought back the moon rock. China aimed to succeed in manned explorations of the Moon by the 2030s.

              So, China and Russia will be in co-operation in space exploration. This is a good match as China has the money while Russia has the experience. Also, as both countries are having a tense relationship with the western world,  a sign of co-operation among them could make them look stronger.