In an ambitious leap towards lunar exploration, China has announced its plans to establish a space research station on the Moon's South Pole by the year 2035. The proposed station, named the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), is part of a two-phase project aiming to deepen space research and exploration.
The first phase, to be completed by 2035, focuses on setting up a basic research facility that will enable scientists to conduct fundamental scientific studies. This location was chosen primarily because it remains untouched by sunlight and is speculated to house water ice deposits, a critical resource for future space missions and potential habitation.
The second phase, projected for completion by 2045, will expand the initial base into a comprehensive space station orbiting the Moon. This expanded facility is expected to facilitate a broad range of scientific and technological experiments, resource development, and the testing of new technologies.
China’s space ambitions are clearly set to rival those of the US, with the ILRS playing a strategic role in its long-term vision for space exploration. This development comes as various nations have renewed their interest in lunar exploration, with the US and European countries pushing forward with plans to send humans back to the Moon as part of the Artemis missions.
