Partner nations on China's lunar research station programme

Belarus this week joined China's International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) programme, the third country to sign up this month for a plan to eventually set up a permanently inhabited outpost on the moon's south pole.

cumhuriyet.com.tr

Earlier in October, Pakistan and Azerbaijan joined the ILRS, a project jointly initiated by China and Russia in 2021 and widely seen as a rival to the U.S.-led Artemis programme.

Lunar missions this decade will establish a "basic" version of the research station, followed by more missions in the 2030s to construct a "full" version of the base.

By 2050, the ILRS is expected to be a fully operational station for lunar research, and potentially also a launch pad for crewed missions to other planets in the solar system.

Country
Year/Month joined
China*
2021/June
Russia*
2021/June
Venezuela
2023/July
South Africa
2023/September
Azerbaijan
2023/October
Pakistan
2023/October
Belarus
2023/October

Note: (*) denotes founding member.

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