<중> "Russia to Launch 6 Probes by 2025 for Lunar Base Construction"

Independent Space Station Leads to Direct Confrontation with the US
Combination of Chinese Capital and Russian Technology Accelerates Space Ambitions

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Following the launch of its first manned spacecraft to the independently constructed space station, China announced plans to launch more than six additional rockets by 2025 in collaboration with Russia to build a lunar base. With China's financial power combined with Russia's technological expertise, the space strategy rivalry with the United States is expected to intensify further.

On the 16th (local time), according to Russia's TASS news agency, Fei Zhaoyu, Deputy Director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center, attended the International Lunar Exploration Conference (GLEX-2021) held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and stated, "China plans to launch six rockets from this year until 2025 in preparation for the joint construction of an international lunar base with Russia."

Deputy Director Fei explained, "Of the six rockets, China will send three first, followed by Russia sending the remaining three. The mission will involve launch vehicles from both China and Russia simultaneously, focusing on developing highly precise landing technology for the lunar base construction."

Earlier in March, the Russian space agency Roscosmos and CNSA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the establishment of the lunar base. The two countries announced plans to jointly build a base in the lunar south pole region on the far side of the moon, which is difficult to monitor from Earth, prompting opposition from the United States and Europe over concerns that it could be repurposed for military use.

In the international community, it is anticipated that the combination of China's vast financial resources and Russia's accumulated space technology will lead to a more intense US-China rivalry in space development projects, where the United States has largely held a dominant position until now.