China has invited Venezuela to join its International Lunar Research Station project (ILRS). The Moon station is planned to be built in the early 2030s, and Venezuela’s assistance would make it the third member, after China and Russia. The ILRS will launch super heavy-lift vehicles, with precursor missions scheduled for later this decade.
China and Russia have unveiled a roadmap for collaborative efforts on their joint ILRS program during a meeting held in St. Petersburg in 2021. The two nations are pursuing partnerships that run parallel to the Artemis Program, led by NASA. Currently, the United States’ Artemis Accords – the diplomatic framework for the program – has received commitments from 23 countries to participate.
China has launched Venezuela’s satellites and the two countries have a history of space cooperation. Although Venezuela’s participation in the ILRS is symbolic, questions remain about Russia’s ability to contribute to the endeavor, especially because Moscow is facing international isolation do to its invasion of Ukraine.
China is facing challenges in attracting partners to the ILRS despite presenting opportunities to participate in its future deep space and lunar missions at the International Astronautical Congress in Paris in September 2022.
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