Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, is setting its sights on a novel contribution to the planned International Scientific Lunar Station, a joint project with China. Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov, speaking at a lecture on Monday, highlighted the development of a compact, long-lasting nuclear energy source as a potential area for Russian expertise.
“This may be one of the serious contributions of the Russian side to the joint Russian-Chinese project,” Borisov said at the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics.
The International Scientific Lunar Station, established through a memorandum of understanding signed in March 2021, aims to build a research base on the Moon. Initial missions will focus on testing technologies crucial for constructing remote research facilities.
While Russia and the US don’t have major joint space ventures planned beyond the current lifespan of the International Space Station (ISS), Borisov did acknowledge ongoing talks regarding unified docking modules.
“In the security interests,” Borisov explained, “we [Russia and the US] are negotiating the creation of unified docking modules. In case of emergencies, the ability to dock with either Russian or American ships is paramount – there’s no room for division when it comes to saving lives. I believe cooperation in this area will continue.”
