The Russian space agency Roscomos recently announced a partnership with China to build a nuclear power plant and settlement on the moon.
The ambitious Russia-Chinese venture includes plans to develop a “nuclear power unit on the Moon” and a “space tugboat.”
The venture, reportedly still in the planning stages, projects a possible completion date in the next decade. On Tuesday, Yuri Borisov, Director of Roscosmos, said: “Today we are seriously considering a project – somewhere at the turn of 2033-2035 – to deliver and install a power unit on the lunar surface together with our Chinese colleagues.”
On February 29, a spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency announced on state television (CCTV) that China would put an astronaut on the moon in the next five or six years.
Reuters reported that Borisov said the lunar station “could one day allow lunar settlements to be built.”
According to The National Pulse, Borisov added that automated nuclear power plants will supply the station with the power necessary for the future lunar settlement.
Borisov also noted plans to develop a “space tugboat” in addition to a nuclear power plant and lunar settlement.
“We are indeed working on a space tugboat,” the Roscosmos Director said. “This huge, cyclopean structure…would be able, thanks to a nuclear reactor and a high-power turbines…to transport large cargoes from one orbit to another, collect space debris and engage in many other applications.”
Russia has long expressed its desire to establish mining colonies on the moon. However, the nation’s space agency has suffered multiple failures in recent years.
Last year, Russia’s first moon landing attempt in 47 years ended prematurely when the Lunia-25 spacecraft crashed landed. Borisov reported last April that the crash resulted in the Lunia-25 craft not “turning off its engine on time.”
#Luna25 ⚡⚡#Russia Space agency Roscosmos head Yury Borisov said main reason behind crash of Russia Moon Lander #Luna25 is trouble in turning off it's Engine on time 🌖
He said Engine shutdown didn't happen on time & it's ran for 127 Sec instead of 84 second as planned 🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/FoREZbrLnV
— Vivek Singh (@VivekSi85847001) August 21, 2023
U.S. officials have expressed concern over Russia-China space projects, fearing covert work to establish space-based weapons that could eliminate American satellites and cities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed concerns, saying statements by hawkish American government officials were a ploy to draw Russia into arms negotiations on the West’s terms.
Firstpost provided a brief overview of the Russia-Chinese venture in a video post.
