The Russian side offers BRICS member countries to discuss joint research of the Moon. This was announced on Monday by Lev Zeleny, scientific head of the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS).

“We are thinking to organise such a big cooperation on lunar exploration within the BRICS framework, where there is India, China and other quite developed countries. These are only plans so far, maybe we will discuss them in the near future at a meeting of BRICS countries,” he said at a press conference ahead of Cosmonautics Day, which is celebrated on 12 April.

The scientist believes that the Moon is a good place for astronomical observations, and the Earth’s natural satellite may become an intermediate port for deep space missions in the future.

Director of IKI RAS Anatoly Petrukovich noted that China and Russia are already actively cooperating on the development of the Moon. In particular, they have signed an agreement to create a joint data centre, where all available information necessary for lunar exploration will be accumulated, as well as a cooperation agreement between the two lunar projects Luna-26 and Chang’e-7, which provides for joint operation of these vehicles in orbit.

In November 2023, the Russian government’s legislative commission ratified the agreement between Russia and China on co-operation in the creation of the International Scientific Lunar Station.

Anatoly Petrukovich explained that now options for the station are being considered, and the implementation of the project is possible after 2030. He noted that the possibility of delivering a nuclear reactor to the Moon is being worked out, among other things. This is reported by
Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

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