By China has invited Venezuela to participate in its lunar research station project, the Space News reported, as Beijing tries to secure more partners for it ambitious Moon mission.
Venezuela could become the first nation to join China and Russia in their International Lunar Research Station [ILRS] which was unveiled in June 2021 and aims to set up a presence on the Moon’s south pole.
The ILRS is expected to be built by 2028 with expectations to land on the Moon within a decade, according to the Global Times.
Space News said the ILRS would potentially begin with smaller launches and then undertake missions later this decade.
On March 30, Marglad Bencomo, the executive director of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities [ABAE], made an official visit to China’s new national Deep Space Exploration Laboratory [DSEL] to discuss potential cooperation.
During her visit she met with Wu Yanhua, the executive vice chairman of DSEL and former deputy director of the China National Space Administration [CNSA].
China and Venezuela exchanged expertise on international cooperation in the area of deep space exploration, according to a DSEL statement.
Benkomo will expected to sign the China-Venezuela Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] to jointly promote the construction of the ILRS, the statement added.
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Symbolic participation?
Beijing recently developed and launched Venezuela’s satellites in orbit.
Some experts say Venezuela’s participation on ILRS would be symbolic.
According to Space News, ABAE has been officially invited to attend the DESL’s international forum on China’s National “Space Day” celebrated on April 24.
The outlet said the date could provide the opportunity for China and Venezuela to ink the MOU.
Brazil and BRICS nations could also participate in the lunar project.
China’s DSEL published details of a visit by Carlos Moura, the president of the Brazilian Space Agency, with both parties set to discuss cooperation.
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