- South Africa plans to work with China and other countries to build a research base on the moon.
- China recently displayed numerous replicas of its current and future space infrastructure.
- The diagram shows what the base looks like.
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South Africa last year collaborated with China to build a lunar research base, and representatives of the Chinese and South African space agencies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in September to “cooperate broadly” on the project.
The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project is being led by China along with Russia, but South Africa is one of a number of countries that have agreed to help. In 2021, Russia and China signed a memorandum of understanding to build a “comprehensive scientific experimental base” on the lunar surface or in lunar orbit to carry out “interdisciplinary and multipurpose scientific research activities.”
Meanwhile, South Africa and China will cooperate in ILRS project demonstration, mission implementation, operations and applications, education and training. A statement from the South African National Space Agency (Sansa) announcing the signing of the memorandum said: “South Africa's formal participation in the ILRS cooperation marks the expansion of cooperation between China and South Africa from near-Earth space to the moon and beyond to deep space. ” is written.
Venashree Maharaj, Sansa's communications director, told News24 in September last year that collaborating on the project would open up opportunities for South African academics, engineers, technicians and local industry.
Maharaj said:
We cannot really continue to operate as we have been within the constraints of the planet. Let us create such aspiration among South Africans.
Since the turn of this century, China has made great strides in space exploration. The country's space agency first launched a man into space in his 2003 year and has significantly built up its space exploration capabilities since then.
So far, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Russian space agency Roscosmos have released diagrams of what a lunar research base would look like.
As of late December, China is displaying replicas of some of the space infrastructure it has launched or plans to launch at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.
On display are scaled-down rockets, lunar landers, space station components, and low-gravity agricultural facilities.
A video from Chinese state media shows the interior infrastructure, with a narrator explaining its functions.
Some of the replicas are of infrastructure already in space, including the core module of the Tiangong Space Station, known as Sky Palace, a permanently manned space station orbiting Earth.
Other infrastructure, such as the lunar module that shuttles astronauts to and from the moon, has not yet been used for missions.
The exhibition features rockets, lunar landers, and return capsules used to support manned missions to the moon.
According to the CNSA presentation, the establishment of the base will follow a phased approach, starting with the construction of infrastructure to provide basic energy and communication services.
Based on the presentation timeline, the lunar base is expected to be built between 2031 and 2035.