China and Russia plan to build lunar base with nuclear power

In recent developments, China and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on establishing a robotic moon base. This partnership focuses on deploying advanced robotic systems to create infrastructure at the lunar southern pole without requiring human intervention. The planned completion year for this project is 2036, aligning with China’s ambition to become a leading power in lunar exploration while bringing Russia and other participating countries along in the endeavor. To kickstart their program, China has scheduled the launch of the Chang'e-8 lunar lander by 2028. This mission intends to gather data and assess construction technologies required for the lunar base. Following Chang'e-8, China's subsequent missions—Chang'e-6 and Chang'e-7—will contribute further insights into site preparation and infrastructure requirements. Concurrently, Russia plans to support this initiative through their Luna-26 and Luna-28 reconnaissance and supply missions. A critical component of this lunar base includes the installation of a nuclear reactor to power the facility. Robotic systems will autonomously manage this nuclear reactor’s delivery, installation, and operation, minimizing human exposure to nuclear materials. The logistics of transporting reactor components will involve a specialized reactor-powered cargo ship, referred to as the