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The Diplomat
02-07-2025
- Science
- The Diplomat
China's Steady Ascent to the Moon: How Beijing Is Rewriting Lunar Geopolitics
When the Chang'e 6 return capsule touched down in the dusty plains of Inner Mongolia in June 2024, it carried something no nation had ever retrieved: the first samples from the far side of the Moon. For China's space agency, this wasn't just a scientific achievement; it was a message. It marked a pivotal shift, signaling that China's lunar ambitions had evolved from symbolic flag planting to a systematic push for permanent space infrastructure. Chang'e 6 was not a one off headline grabber, but rather part of a rapidly advancing sequence. Chang'e 7, scheduled for 2026, will scout the Moon's South Pole, an area of strategic interest due to potential water deposits. Chang'e 8, launching in 2028, aims to test technologies for using local lunar resources. And by 2035, Beijing plans to begin constructing a permanent International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), possibly powered through the freezing two-week lunar nights by a small nuclear reactor. Meanwhile, officials say China remains 'on track' to land its first astronauts on the Moon by 2030. This spring's successful trials of the country's new two-part crewed spacecraft (Mengzhou and its lander, Lanyue) reinforced that timeline. And with the launch of Tianwen 2 in May, a mission to return samples from both an asteroid and a comet, China has made its intentions unmistakably clear. In space, China is not merely catching up anymore, but rather it is starting to lead. Why the Moon, and Why Now? China's accelerated push toward the Moon is not simply a scientific endeavor. It is guided by a strategic calculus shaped by the interlocking imperatives of accessing resources, having technological leverage, and establishing a long term political control. First, the Lunar South Pole contains permanently shadowed craters believed to hold substantial reserves of water ice. For any country seeking a lasting presence on the Moon, that ice is of tremendous importance, as it can be converted into fuel, life support, and even infrastructure. Securing access to these polar deposits offer not only practical advantage but also immense geopolitical symbolism. In space, as on Earth, control of critical resources translates into influence. China's lunar missions are not developing in isolation. Key technologies – such as the heavy lift Long March-10 rocket, high thrust propulsion systems, and robust cislunar communication networks – have direct military relevance. While Chinese officials maintain that the lunar program is peaceful, defense analysts see clear convergence with the People's Liberation Army's growing interest in space as a strategic domain. These dual use dividends are too significant to ignore. Building a Coalition on Beijing's Terms There is a clear geopolitical dynamic at play as China's space program advances. While the United States advertises its 55-member Artemis Accords as proof of international momentum, Beijing is quietly building a rival coalition. Thirteen countries have signed onto China's ILRS agreement so far, including Russia, Pakistan, Belarus, and South Africa. To expand its influence, China has rolled out an ambitious '5-5-5' campaign, under which it aims to add a total of 50 nations, 500 institutions, and 5,000 researchers to engage in lunar science by the early 2030s. This division is stark and deliberate. With the exception of Thailand, not a single Artemis country has joined the ILRS, and none of China's partners has signed the Artemis Accords. Beijing is making its offer hard to refuse, as it offers low interest loans for ground stations, tech transfer guarantees, and slots for smaller payloads on Chinese missions. The result is a familiar dynamic, a quiet struggle for influence, echoing the divides seen in the race for 5G or the Belt and Road Initiative. How the United States Is Reacting Inside NASA, China's growing momentum is seen less as an external threat and more as a rallying cry. Administrators from both Republican and Democratic administrations have repeatedly cast the Artemis program as essential to winning the new space race with China, as recently stated by Administrator Bill Nelson. It is a message that resonates on Capitol Hill, where bipartisan support has helped secure funding for core elements like the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion, even as deadlines slip. Few lawmakers want to be seen as soft on China, especially when space dominance is framed as a matter of national prestige and security. External rivals can unify an otherwise polarized Congress, and Artemis has proven no exception. The Biden administration quietly adopted all of the program's core goals from its predecessor, shifting the first crewed lunar landing from 2024 to 2027 or later, but keeping China at the center of its justification. Still, the U.S. political system remains a structural weakness in this long term competition. Artemis has already suffered multiple delays, and a December 2023 audit put the odds of a 2028 landing at just 70 percent. Additionally, the White House fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for NASA included a 25 percent reduction in NASA's funding and plans to phase out the SLS and Orion spacecraft after Artemis III. This raises significant concerns about the viability of the current lunar return strategy. China, by contrast, can redirect funding or extend timelines without public debate or political backlash, potentially giving it an advantage in the lunar exploration race. Unlike democratic systems where space funding often fluctuates with political shifts, Beijing can sustain multidecade programs with centralized coordination. At a deeper level, the two programs reflect diverging philosophies. The United States leans on the private sector (outsourcing key components to firms like SpaceX and Blue Origin) in hopes of gaining speed and reducing costs. Whether that gamble pays off remains one of the defining questions in this unfolding lunar rivalry. Implications for the Indo-Pacific The prospect of rival, partially overlapping communication and navigation networks in cislunar space is causing concern among Asian defense planners. A radio quiet zone on the Moon's far side (prized by astronomers for its shielded environment) could easily conceal surveillance infrastructure. Meanwhile, proposals for lunar 'gas stations' to refuel spacecraft raise uncomfortable legal questions about territorial control in a domain still governed by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, drafted long before GPS or commercial satellites ever existed. Japan and India, both signatories to the Artemis Accords, have expressed public support for U.S. leadership. But behind the scenes, Japan's SLIM precision lander and India's upcoming Chandrayaam 4 sample return mission may position them to share data or cooperate with both blocs, keeping diplomatic options open. For smaller Southeast Asian countries, the calculus feels familiar, much like debates over maritime codes of conduct. The goal is to avoid choosing sides outright while maximizing technology transfer and strategic flexibility both from Washington and Beijing. To many ASEAN capitals, lunar engineering might still seem like science fiction. But the stakes are very real. Whichever bloc secures early access to polar ice on the Moon could gain a commanding position in the emerging cislunar economy, powering Earth Moon cargo transport and satellite relays. The intellectual property, industrial standards, and logistics infrastructure built in space won't stay in space. They will shape value chains back on Earth, from robotics to additive manufacturing. Australia's nascent Moon to Mars supply chain initiatives, South Korea's KPLO orbiter study and Singapore's interest in cislunar cybersecurity all suggest the region understands what is at stake. Participation choices will increasingly interconnect with terrestrial trade and security partnerships. A Contest of Rule Making, Not Just Rockets Framing today's lunar competition as a 'new Cold War' misses the point. China and the United States are not simply racing to plant flags; they are maneuvering to shape the rules of the game. Technological standards, legal norms, and commercial protocols established now will define who sets the pace in space for decades to come. Beijing's centrally planned path toward its ILRS promises long-term stability, but offers little in the way of transparency. Washington's Artemis program, by contrast, is built around a decentralized, commercial led coalition, bringing openness and broad participation, but also slower timelines and political volatility. For policymakers across the Indo-Pacific, the challenge is to engage without becoming dependent. That means pushing for interoperable standards, avoiding exclusivity in launch or communications deals, and investing in domestic lunar science capabilities to remain credible at the negotiating table. The Moon is no longer just a silent presence in the night sky. It is quickly becoming the region's newest strategic frontier.
NDTV
17-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Russia, China Sign Agreement To Build Nuclear Power Station On Moon
China and Russia have signed a memorandum of cooperation to build an automated nuclear power station on the Moon by 2035. Russia's space agency Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) signed the document earlier this month, with the power station expected to be part of the proposed International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos wrote in a May 8 announcement following the signing of the memorandum. First announced in 2017, ILRS includes involvement from countries such as Venezuela, Belarus, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia, Pakistan, Senegal and Kazakhstan. The IRLS is expected to be located within 100 kilometres of the lunar south pole and feature long-term autonomous operations and short-term human missions. "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos said in a statement. Yuri Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, last year stated that apart from the Chinese-Russian reactor, a nuclear-powered cargo spaceship was also under development. He said all the technical questions concerning the project had been solved, apart from finding a solution on how to cool the nuclear reactor. "We are indeed working on a space tugboat. This huge, cyclopean structure that would be able, thanks to a nuclear reactor and a high-power transport large cargoes from one orbit to another, collect space debris and engage in many other applications," Mr Borisov said. The announcement comes in the backdrop of NASA revealing a 2026 budget proposal that would axe the agency's plans for an orbital lunar base, dubbed Gateway and slated for launch in 2027. NASA's over-budget Space Launch System (SLS), a gigantic rocket built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman for the Artemis programme, could also cancelled after its third mission.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China signs deal with Russia to build a power plant on the moon — potentially leaving the US in the dust
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Russia has signed a deal with China to build a nuclear power plant on the moon. The Russian reactor will be used to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), jointly led by China and Russia, and should be completed by 2036, according to a memorandum of cooperation signed by the two nations. The announcement comes just after NASA revealed a 2026 budget proposal that would axe the agency's plans for an orbital lunar base. The construction of the Chinese-Russian reactor will likely be carried out autonomously "without the presence of humans," according to a 2024 interview with Yury Borisov, director general of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on the Russian state-owned news site TASS. While details of how this can be achieved remain unclear, Borisov added that the technological steps are "almost ready." "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos wrote in a May 8 announcement following the signing of the memorandum. The new research station, a permanent, manned lunar base located on the moon's south pole, has so far attracted 17 countries to join the program — including Egypt, Pakistan, Venezuela, Thailand and South Africa. Its groundwork will be laid by China's 2028 Chang'e-8 mission, which will be the nation's first time landing an astronaut on the lunar surface. Related: Russia and China announce plan to build shared nuclear reactor on the moon by 2035, 'without humans' The roadmap for the ILRS was first unveiled in June 2021, with China and Russia announcing they would loft the pieces for a robotic moon base using five super heavy-lift rocket launches from 2030 to 2035. Once these basic pieces are established, China plans additional launches that will extend the base further, connecting it to a space station orbiting the moon and two nodes located at the moon's equator and its far side, Wu Yanhua, the chief designer of China's deep exploration project, said at a 2024 media conference, according to state media outlet Xinhua. This extended model, laying the foundations for manned landings on Mars, should be completed by 2050. It "will be powered by solar, radioisotope and nuclear generators," Wu said. "It will also include lunar-Earth and high-speed lunar surface communication networks, as well as lunar vehicles like a hopper, an unmanned long-range vehicle, and pressurized and unpressurized manned rovers." RELATED STORIES —Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapon to target satellites, U.S. Congress reveals —China's secret space plane deploys 6 unknown objects in orbit, and some are emitting signals —Russian satellite narrowly avoids collision with US spacecraft, and NASA could do nothing to stop it The memorandum comes at a time of growing ambition for China's space programs. The country has had a lunar presence since the 2013 landing of the Chang'e 3 mission, which placed a rover on the moon. Subsequent missions landed more rovers on the moon and Mars, while collecting samples from the moon's near and far sides, and mapped out the lunar surface. China's race to build a lunar outpost also has an American rival in the Artemis program, which has recently been beset by delays. Artemis III, which will see NASA astronauts return to our nearest natural satellite for the first time in over 50 years, is expected to launch sometime in 2027. Meanwhile, the future of NASA's own planned lunar space station, dubbed Gateway and initially slated for launch as soon as 2027, has been thrown into question with the release of the Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget. The budget calls for canceling the Gateway mission, despite significant progress on building the station's modules.
DW
16-05-2025
- Science
- DW
China and Russia plan to build nuclear power station on moon – DW – 05/16/2025
Planned for 2035, the nuclear reactor would power research and exploration of the moon's south pole as part of the the International Lunar Research Station project. What you need to know: China and Russia plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2035 to power a permanent lunar base. The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) will rely on the power plant for its scientific research. The IRLS involves over a dozen international partners and is seen as a rival program to NASA's Artemis Program. China and Russia plan to build an automated nuclear power station on the moon by 2035. A memorandum of cooperation for the project was signed between Russia's space agency Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) this week. The power station will be part of the proposed ILRS lunar base and will provide energy to enable long-term lunar exploration and scientific research. ILRS is seen as a rival to the US-led Artemis program, which plans to build an orbital lunar space station called "Gateway" from 2027. Artemis involves NASA and the space agencies of 55 other countries, including European Space Agency member states. What is the International Lunar Research Station? The ILRS project aims to establish a scientific research base on the moon located within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the lunar south pole. It will feature long-term autonomous operations and short-term human missions. "The station will conduct fundamental space research and test technology for long-term uncrewed operations of the ILRS, with the prospect of a human being's presence on the Moon," Roscosmos said in a statement. Chang'e-6: Is geopolitics harming China-EU lunar mission? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video First announced in 2017, ILRS includes involvement from Pakistan, Venezuela, Belarus, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia, Senegal and Kazakhstan. China will also invite 50 countries, 500 international scientific research institutions and 5,000 overseas researchers to join the ILRS as part of its "555 Project," said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program in a statement last year. While the ILRS aims to be a center of scientific research, the Moon's natural resources are also an enticing prospect for spacefaring nations. The moon holds valuable metal oxides, regolith (lunar soil), rare Earth metals, and potentially significant amounts of helium-3, a potential fuel for nuclear fusion power. The question of who can actually own bits of the moon is hotly debated among legal experts. Will China lead future space exploration? ILRS is part of China's mission to be come a leader in space exploration and scientific research. The first pieces are to be laid by China's Chang'e-8 mission in 2028. This will double as China's first attempt landing an astronaut on the lunar surface. China has been landing unmanned rovers on the moon since 2013 and its scientists have led missions that have mapped the lunar surface, including the 'dark side of the moon', which is the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth. In June 2024, China became the first nation to successfully collect rocks from this hemisphere. The mission was hailed by China, with state news agency Xinhua describing it as "an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history." Edited by: Matthew Ward Agius
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
China's Space Projects on US Doorstep Have Military Worried
China's space infrastructure in Latin America is the biggest outside of China and raises questions that need answers, the commander of the U.S. Southern Command said in rare public comments this week. Admiral Alvin Holsey said SouthCom would soon establish its own Space South command. The scale of China's regional space infrastructure was underlined by a Newsweek investigation into a joint Chinese observatory being built by a Chinese state-owned enterprise in Chile - and which was subsequently placed on hold. "Space is really huge for me," Holsey told a security conference at Florida International University in Miami. The United States and China are competing in space on multiple levels with implications for potential future conflicts as they build out communications, surveillance and guidance systems. The world's biggest rival powers are also both leading projects to get people to the moon as a stepping stone to Mars. America's project is known as Artemis, and China, with its de facto ally Russia, is offering one called the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia plan to build a nuclear power plant on the moon. SouthCom would establish Space South command "in the next couple of weeks" as part of the newest component of the military, the U.S. Space Force, Holsey said, with United States Space Forces – Southern to be based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. "And the big point there is, there's a lot of PRC China space and labor infrastructure in this region, and our partners want to know more about it, and I want to know more about it as well," Holsey told participants at the 10th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference. "So right now, there's 10 PRC linked space sites across 5 countries in the region," Holsey said, listing their functions that included space object surveillance and identification, and telemetry, tracking and control sites, both important for military space operations. "Why is that? That's, this region is second only to mainland China for space and labor infrastructure. So, I have to make sure as a combatant commander, what does that mean in the future?" Holsey said. He said that China saw "unchecked opportunity" in the region and was making fast progress spreading its influence making it a major challenge to the U.S. including economically. "China remains a long-term strategic competitor. They're a pacing threat, and they're setting the theater," Holsey said. "I believe Beijing's approach to the region is primarily driven by economics which provide access, influence, and the opportunity to coerce our partner nations into unfavorable terms. In short, I think they see unchecked opportunity." According to the Newsweek investigation published last December about a joint Chinese observatory being built by a Chinese state-owned enterprise in Chile at Cerro Ventarrones there were at least 16 Chinese space enabling infrastructures in the region, though the number varies according to definitions. The Chilean government placed the project on hold following the report. Related Articles China Makes Overtures to Allies in America's BackyardDonald Trump Takes Well-Deserved Victory Lap on Middle East Tour | OpinionPanama Asks Trump to Clean Up Mess Left From Biden-Era Migration SurgeChina Reveals Details About New Stealth Jet 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
