Russia plans to build a power station on the Moon by 2036 and cooperate with China.

Russia Sets a Timeline for a Power Station on the Moon

The Russian Federal Space Agency has signed a contract with major space and nuclear companies to build a facility connected to a China-led lunar base by 2036. The Russian Space Agency announced that Russia plans to build a power station on the Moon within ten years and stated that it has signed a contract with NPO Lavochkin, the main developer of deep-space and planetary missions in the country, to work on the project before 2036.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Russian Federal Space Agency said the facility is intended to provide long-term energy supply for lunar rovers, observatories, and the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).

NPO Lavochkin led landmark lunar and Venus missions in the Soviet era and remains the main developer of Russia's current lunar missions. The State Nuclear Company and the country's leading National Research Center Kurchatov Institute will participate in the project.

Over the next decade, the Russian Federal Space Agency plans to develop spacecraft, conduct ground experimental tests, perform flight tests, and establish infrastructure on the Moon.

The Russian Federal Space Agency said, "This project is an important step toward creating a permanently operating scientific lunar station and a crucial part of the transition from one-time missions to long-term lunar exploration programs."

The planned power station will be part of the China-led joint lunar project. Russia is a key partner in this effort, contributing expertise in deep-space systems and nuclear energy.

Space agencies generally consider nuclear energy as the most feasible option for long-term power generation on the Moon, due to the low efficiency of solar panels caused by long periods of darkness, highly adhesive lunar dust, and extreme temperature fluctuations.

This announcement comes amid intensified competition in lunar exploration. China's main rival in the space field, the United States, has launched the Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the Moon, establish a sustained presence near the South Pole, and build a small space station orbiting the Moon called the Lunar Gateway.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852438801977354/

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