International Lunar Research Station
Fig. 1 — Visual Archive: International Lunar Research Station
The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) (Chinese: 国际月球科研站, Russian: Международная научная лунная станция) is a planned lunar base led by Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced in 2021, aimed to begin construction from 2031. The ILRS will serve as a comprehensive scientific experiment base built on the lunar surface or in lunar orbit that can carry out multi-disciplinary and multi-objective scientific research activities including exploration and utilization, lunar-based observation, basic scientific experiment and technical verification, and long-term autonomous operation. Roscosmos and CNSA announced that the project will be "open to all interested countries and international partners." In 2021, the project made an effort to engage members of the European Space Agency, but this was considered ended following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ILRS has been contrasted with the US-led Artemis Accords, sometimes described as part of a Second Cold War. The ILRS construction missions are expected to begin from 2031, and will utilize the super heavy-lift Chinese Long March 9 and Russian Yenisei rockets in development. ILRS will build on the robotic lunar missions of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and Roscosmos' Luna-Glob program. China's 2028 Chang'e 8 mission will test in situ resource utilization for ILRS.