Latest news with #ILRS
NDTV
17-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Russia, China Sign Agreement To Build Nuclear Power Station On Moon
China and Russia have signed a memorandum of cooperation to build an automated nuclear power station on the Moon by 2035. Russia's space agency Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) signed the document earlier this month, with the power station expected to be part of the proposed International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos wrote in a May 8 announcement following the signing of the memorandum. First announced in 2017, ILRS includes involvement from countries such as Venezuela, Belarus, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia, Pakistan, Senegal and Kazakhstan. The IRLS is expected to be located within 100 kilometres of the lunar south pole and feature long-term autonomous operations and short-term human missions. "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos said in a statement. Yuri Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, last year stated that apart from the Chinese-Russian reactor, a nuclear-powered cargo spaceship was also under development. He said all the technical questions concerning the project had been solved, apart from finding a solution on how to cool the nuclear reactor. "We are indeed working on a space tugboat. This huge, cyclopean structure that would be able, thanks to a nuclear reactor and a high-power transport large cargoes from one orbit to another, collect space debris and engage in many other applications," Mr Borisov said. The announcement comes in the backdrop of NASA revealing a 2026 budget proposal that would axe the agency's plans for an orbital lunar base, dubbed Gateway and slated for launch in 2027. NASA's over-budget Space Launch System (SLS), a gigantic rocket built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman for the Artemis programme, could also cancelled after its third mission.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China signs deal with Russia to build a power plant on the moon — potentially leaving the US in the dust
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Russia has signed a deal with China to build a nuclear power plant on the moon. The Russian reactor will be used to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), jointly led by China and Russia, and should be completed by 2036, according to a memorandum of cooperation signed by the two nations. The announcement comes just after NASA revealed a 2026 budget proposal that would axe the agency's plans for an orbital lunar base. The construction of the Chinese-Russian reactor will likely be carried out autonomously "without the presence of humans," according to a 2024 interview with Yury Borisov, director general of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on the Russian state-owned news site TASS. While details of how this can be achieved remain unclear, Borisov added that the technological steps are "almost ready." "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos wrote in a May 8 announcement following the signing of the memorandum. The new research station, a permanent, manned lunar base located on the moon's south pole, has so far attracted 17 countries to join the program — including Egypt, Pakistan, Venezuela, Thailand and South Africa. Its groundwork will be laid by China's 2028 Chang'e-8 mission, which will be the nation's first time landing an astronaut on the lunar surface. Related: Russia and China announce plan to build shared nuclear reactor on the moon by 2035, 'without humans' The roadmap for the ILRS was first unveiled in June 2021, with China and Russia announcing they would loft the pieces for a robotic moon base using five super heavy-lift rocket launches from 2030 to 2035. Once these basic pieces are established, China plans additional launches that will extend the base further, connecting it to a space station orbiting the moon and two nodes located at the moon's equator and its far side, Wu Yanhua, the chief designer of China's deep exploration project, said at a 2024 media conference, according to state media outlet Xinhua. This extended model, laying the foundations for manned landings on Mars, should be completed by 2050. It "will be powered by solar, radioisotope and nuclear generators," Wu said. "It will also include lunar-Earth and high-speed lunar surface communication networks, as well as lunar vehicles like a hopper, an unmanned long-range vehicle, and pressurized and unpressurized manned rovers." RELATED STORIES —Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapon to target satellites, U.S. Congress reveals —China's secret space plane deploys 6 unknown objects in orbit, and some are emitting signals —Russian satellite narrowly avoids collision with US spacecraft, and NASA could do nothing to stop it The memorandum comes at a time of growing ambition for China's space programs. The country has had a lunar presence since the 2013 landing of the Chang'e 3 mission, which placed a rover on the moon. Subsequent missions landed more rovers on the moon and Mars, while collecting samples from the moon's near and far sides, and mapped out the lunar surface. China's race to build a lunar outpost also has an American rival in the Artemis program, which has recently been beset by delays. Artemis III, which will see NASA astronauts return to our nearest natural satellite for the first time in over 50 years, is expected to launch sometime in 2027. Meanwhile, the future of NASA's own planned lunar space station, dubbed Gateway and initially slated for launch as soon as 2027, has been thrown into question with the release of the Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget. The budget calls for canceling the Gateway mission, despite significant progress on building the station's modules.
DW
16-05-2025
- Science
- DW
China and Russia plan to build nuclear power station on moon – DW – 05/16/2025
Planned for 2035, the nuclear reactor would power research and exploration of the moon's south pole as part of the the International Lunar Research Station project. What you need to know: China and Russia plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2035 to power a permanent lunar base. The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) will rely on the power plant for its scientific research. The IRLS involves over a dozen international partners and is seen as a rival program to NASA's Artemis Program. China and Russia plan to build an automated nuclear power station on the moon by 2035. A memorandum of cooperation for the project was signed between Russia's space agency Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) this week. The power station will be part of the proposed ILRS lunar base and will provide energy to enable long-term lunar exploration and scientific research. ILRS is seen as a rival to the US-led Artemis program, which plans to build an orbital lunar space station called "Gateway" from 2027. Artemis involves NASA and the space agencies of 55 other countries, including European Space Agency member states. What is the International Lunar Research Station? The ILRS project aims to establish a scientific research base on the moon located within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the lunar south pole. It will feature long-term autonomous operations and short-term human missions. "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos said in a statement. Chang'e-6: Is geopolitics harming China-EU lunar mission? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video First announced in 2017, ILRS includes involvement from Pakistan, Venezuela, Belarus, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia, Senegal and Kazakhstan. China will also invite 50 countries, 500 international scientific research institutions and 5,000 overseas researchers to join the ILRS as part of its "555 Project," said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program in a statement last year. While the ILRS aims to be a center of scientific research, the Moon's natural resources are also an enticing prospect for spacefaring nations. The moon holds valuable metal oxides, regolith (lunar soil), rare Earth metals, and potentially significant amounts of helium-3, a potential fuel for nuclear fusion power. The question of who can actually own bits of the moon is hotly debated among legal experts. Will China lead future space exploration? ILRS is part of China's mission to be come a leader in space exploration and scientific research. The first pieces are to be laid by China's Chang'e-8 mission in 2028. This will double as China's first attempt landing an astronaut on the lunar surface. China has been landing unmanned rovers on the moon since 2013 and its scientists have led missions that have mapped the lunar surface, including the 'dark side of the moon', which is the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth. In June 2024, China became the first nation to successfully collect rocks from this hemisphere. The mission was hailed by China, with state news agency Xinhua describing it as "an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history." Edited by: Matthew Ward Agius
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
China's Space Projects on US Doorstep Have Military Worried
China's space infrastructure in Latin America is the biggest outside of China and raises questions that need answers, the commander of the U.S. Southern Command said in rare public comments this week. Admiral Alvin Holsey said SouthCom would soon establish its own Space South command. The scale of China's regional space infrastructure was underlined by a Newsweek investigation into a joint Chinese observatory being built by a Chinese state-owned enterprise in Chile - and which was subsequently placed on hold. "Space is really huge for me," Holsey told a security conference at Florida International University in Miami. The United States and China are competing in space on multiple levels with implications for potential future conflicts as they build out communications, surveillance and guidance systems. The world's biggest rival powers are also both leading projects to get people to the moon as a stepping stone to Mars. America's project is known as Artemis, and China, with its de facto ally Russia, is offering one called the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia plan to build a nuclear power plant on the moon. SouthCom would establish Space South command "in the next couple of weeks" as part of the newest component of the military, the U.S. Space Force, Holsey said, with United States Space Forces – Southern to be based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. "And the big point there is, there's a lot of PRC China space and labor infrastructure in this region, and our partners want to know more about it, and I want to know more about it as well," Holsey told participants at the 10th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference. "So right now, there's 10 PRC linked space sites across 5 countries in the region," Holsey said, listing their functions that included space object surveillance and identification, and telemetry, tracking and control sites, both important for military space operations. "Why is that? That's, this region is second only to mainland China for space and labor infrastructure. So, I have to make sure as a combatant commander, what does that mean in the future?" Holsey said. He said that China saw "unchecked opportunity" in the region and was making fast progress spreading its influence making it a major challenge to the U.S. including economically. "China remains a long-term strategic competitor. They're a pacing threat, and they're setting the theater," Holsey said. "I believe Beijing's approach to the region is primarily driven by economics which provide access, influence, and the opportunity to coerce our partner nations into unfavorable terms. In short, I think they see unchecked opportunity." According to the Newsweek investigation published last December about a joint Chinese observatory being built by a Chinese state-owned enterprise in Chile at Cerro Ventarrones there were at least 16 Chinese space enabling infrastructures in the region, though the number varies according to definitions. The Chilean government placed the project on hold following the report. Related Articles China Makes Overtures to Allies in America's BackyardDonald Trump Takes Well-Deserved Victory Lap on Middle East Tour | OpinionPanama Asks Trump to Clean Up Mess Left From Biden-Era Migration SurgeChina Reveals Details About New Stealth Jet 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
India.com
14-05-2025
- Science
- India.com
These two nations join hands up to build a nuclear power plant on the moon; not US, UK, France, India, Japan, they are...
(Representational Image/AI-generated) In a major development that could once again trigger a new space race between major world powers, China and Russia have teamed up to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon. According to reports, the revolutionary project, which is expected to be completed by 2036, will power International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), another major undertaking led by the two allies. The announcement comes at a time when US space agency NASA has called for cancellation of its planned orbital station on the Moon in its 2026 budget proposal, while its Artemis program– which aims to send American astronauts back to the moon after nearly five decades– is facing challenges due to delays and budget cuts. Sino-Russian lunar nuclear power plant to power ILRS As per reports, China and Russia recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a permanent human base on the lunar south pole, and build a nuclear power plant that will power the base and the ILRS– a revolutionary project designed for scientific research and long-term unmanned operations, including the possibility of future human presence on the Moon. Yury Borisov, General Director of Russian space agency Roscosmos, said the nuclear plant will be built 'without human presence', hinting at advanced robots carrying out the construction on the lunar surface. Borisov did not provide any details on the technology required for such an endeavor but said the pre-requisites are 'almost ready'. As per details, the construction of the lunar nuclear plant is scheduled to begin between 2030 and 2035, and expected to completed by 2036. The foundation stone for the ILRS will be laid in 2028 with China's Chang'e-8 mission, its first manned mission to the Moon. What is the ILRS mission, and why its a gamechanger? The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), is an ambitious project jointly led by China and Russia, which aims to establish a permanent human-controlled base on the moon's south pole for conducting scientific research. First announced by Moscow and Beijing in June 2021, it now includes as a many as 17 other countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Venezuela, Thailand and South Africa. The ILRS will be constructed using materials shipped via five super heavy-lift rocket launches from 2030 to 2035, and the station is planned to be expanded by 2050 to include an orbital space station, two nodes on the moon's equator and its far side. The ambitious lunar research station will be powered by solar, radioisotope and nuclear generators, and will feature high-speed communication networks on the Moon-Earth and lunar surface, lunar vehicles and manned rovers. The ILRS aims to provide a major technological footing for humans on the moon for research, long-term unmanned operations, and also aims to serve as a base for manned missions to Mars. China's rapidly expanding space program Notably, China has rapidly developed its space program over the las decade, landing its first lunar rover in the 2013 Chang'e-3 mission. Since then, Beijing has sent several rovers to the moon and Mars, collecting samples from the near and far sides of the moon and mapping the lunar surface. China's Chang'e-8 mission aims to land Chinese astronauts on the moon by 2030, as Beijing looks to cement its place as the undisputed global leader in space research and missions, replacing its rival, the United States.
