State Duma ratifies agreement on Russian-Chinese lunar station project

The Russian State Duma during a plenary session ratified an agreement with the Chinese government on co-operation in the creation of the International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS). The document was signed on 25 November 2022 at the meeting of the heads of the two countries.

With the help of this agreement, the parties will form the organisational and legal framework for the creation and operation of the station. The explanatory note states that the document is in the interests of Russia, as it will contribute to the strengthening of strategic partnership with China, development of Russian space activities, consolidation of the country's leading role in space exploration.

The agreement also includes clauses on intellectual property protection. The ISLV will consist of several modules and will be capable of long-term unmanned operation with the prospect of human presence.

The station, scheduled for completion by 2036, is expected to carry out multi-disciplinary and multi-purpose research and experiments, such as lunar exploration and technology testing.