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Inside China & Russia’s Joint Moon Mission That Could Surpass NASA and SpaceX
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#space #starship #spacex #astrofyspace
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China and Russia have officially teamed up for one of the most ambitious space projects in modern history — a joint lunar base that could rival NASA and SpaceX. On March 9, 2021, the two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a massive long-term Moon base designed to support human exploration and scientific discovery.

This partnership marks a major turning point in the global space race. It shows that Russia, despite recent challenges, remains a serious space player — and that China’s goal of sending astronauts to the Moon before 2030 is more determined than ever. Together, they plan to build a fully functional lunar base focused on the Moon’s South Pole, an area believed to contain vast amounts of water ice — a key resource for life support, rocket fuel, and long-term human presence.

The ILRS project will include both orbital and surface infrastructure: a cis-lunar transportation hub orbiting the Moon to support missions, and a permanent surface base for research, cargo, and crew operations. The system will also feature Earth-based control centers and advanced communication networks, making it one of the most complex lunar architectures ever attempted.

Unlike the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, which have limited membership, the ILRS stands out with an open invitation to other nations and private companies to participate. China and Russia are pitching this as a truly global effort — an alternative path to the Moon that welcomes collaboration across borders.

The ILRS will develop in three key stages:

Phase 1: Reconnaissance (2021–2026) — China leads with its Chang’e missions. Chang’e-4 explored the Moon’s far side, followed by Chang’e-6 in 2024, which brought back the first-ever samples from that region. Next, Chang’e-7 will launch in 2026 to scout the lunar South Pole. Russia’s Luna-25 mission in 2023 ended in failure, but Luna-26 and Luna-27 are planned for 2027 and 2028 to map landing zones and test new exploration tech.

Phase 2: Construction (2026–2035) — Beginning with Chang’e-8 in 2028, this stage will test in-situ resource utilization — turning lunar materials into usable resources for power, oxygen, and building supplies. Russia will join with Luna-28 around 2030, while five ILRS missions (ILRS-1 through ILRS-5) will establish systems for energy, communications, science, and long-term habitation.

If successful, this joint China-Russia lunar base could become humanity’s first true outpost beyond Earth — potentially surpassing NASA’s Artemis Program and SpaceX’s lunar ambitions in both scale and international influence.