German media: China is becoming the leader in lunar exploration.

China and Russia plan to build a nuclear power plant on the moon.

According to the plan, after its completion in 2035, this nuclear reactor will provide energy for the International Lunar Research Station project to support research and exploration of the lunar South Pole.

What you need to know:

- China and Russia plan to build a lunar nuclear reactor before 2035 to provide energy for a permanent lunar base.

- This nuclear reactor will provide energy for the "International Lunar Research Station" (ILRS) for scientific research.

- The ILRS project is jointly participated by more than ten international partners and is generally regarded as a competitor to the U.S.-led Artemis program.

China and Russia plan to build an automated nuclear power plant on the moon before 2035.

This week, Roscosmos, the Russian State Space Corporation, signed a cooperation memorandum with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) regarding this project.

This nuclear power station will be part of the ILRS lunar base, providing energy support for long-term lunar exploration and scientific research.

The ILRS is generally considered a competitor to the U.S.-led "Artemis Program," which plans to build a lunar orbit space station called "Gateway" starting in 2027. The Artemis program is led by NASA and has participation from 55 countries including European Space Agency member states.

What is the "International Lunar Research Station" (International Lunar Research Station)?

The goal of the ILRS project is to establish a scientific research base within a 100-kilometer radius of the lunar South Pole. This research station will have the capability for long-term autonomous operation as well as short-term manned missions.

Roscosmos stated in a statement: "This research station will conduct fundamental space research, test technologies related to the unmanned long-term operation of ILRS, and prepare for future human lunar missions."

Since its first announcement in 2017, the project has now involved multiple countries including Pakistan, Venezuela, Belarus, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia, Senegal, and Kazakhstan.

Wu Weiran, chief designer of China's lunar exploration project, previously stated that China will invite 50 countries, 500 international research institutions, and 5,000 overseas researchers to participate in the ILRS project through its "555 Project."

Although the core goal of ILRS is scientific research, the natural resources on the moon also hold great appeal for major space powers. The moon is rich in metal oxides, lunar soil, rare earth elements, and may even contain large amounts of helium-3, a potential nuclear fusion fuel.

As for who has the right to own the resources on the moon, it remains a topic of heated debate among legal experts.

Will China lead future space exploration?

The ILRS project is part of China's efforts to take a leading role in space exploration and research.

China's "Chang'e-8" will lay the foundation for the ILRS project in 2028, and at that time, Chinese astronauts may attempt their first landing on the moon.

Since 2013, China has successfully sent multiple unmanned probes to the moon multiple times, and its scientific team has also taken the lead in mapping the lunar surface, including the far side of the moon.

In June 2024, China became the first country to successfully collect rock samples from the far side of the moon. The official Xinhua News Agency described the successful completion of this mission as an "unprecedented feat in the history of human lunar exploration."

Source: DW

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832659077000204/

Disclaimer: The article only represents the author's personal views.