Russia and China plan to install a nuclear facility on the Moon and appropriate the mineral resources

2024-05-08 16:10:00

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo.

The ambitious race to establish a human presence on the Moon has gained new momentum with Russia’s revelation that it has begun construction of a nuclear power plant. nuclear power. This development is part of a unique collaboration between Russia and Chinatwo regimes that come together to create International Lunar Research Stationa scientific complex planned to start construction in 2026. According to Yuri Borisov, director of Roscosmosthe Russian space agency, in the middle RIAthe installation of this critical nuclear infrastructure is expected to take place between 2033 and 2035.

The joint project symbolizes a clear competition between these authoritarian regimes in their space race once morest the West and especially once morest the projects of NASA to develop the path to lunar exploration and beyond. China y Russia They have assured that their cooperation covers several domains, including the “security of outer space” and the development of “artificial intelligence weapons”, pointing out the importance of this alliance in defense and scientific research.

The scenario for this deployment is not without ambitious vision, as the planned base will cover an area of ​​nearly four miles, and in size surpass any theme park in Disney, and will focus on studying the Moon’s unique properties. The technical challenges are significant; The long lunar nights, lasting regarding 14 Earth days, make the use of solar panels impossible, leading to Borisov to propose nuclear energy as a solution.

The collaboration between Russia y China It also has a security and surveillance aspect, as can be deduced from the security plans. China to use their “successful experience” of their monitoring system Cloudy on the moon, meant to protect the base from “suspicious targets”. This surveillance system is the largest in the world, designed to monitor every corner of China, with more than 600 million cameras installed across the country.

The Chinese probe Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit 2, roams the surface of the moon (China Space Administration/CNS via REUTERS/File)

In addition to advances in infrastructure and monitoring International Scientific Lunar Station It will be developed in two stages between 2025 and 2035, involving the deployment of several modules designed to withstand the harsh lunar conditions. “It will be necessary to create a compact, reliable and durable supply of nuclear power in the long term for the base to function”Borisov noted in April.

While Russia y China outline plans for their lunar presence, the international community is watching closely. The possibility of a “moon gold rush”, as mentioned by NASA, proposes a future in which the Moon’s resources, from minerals to helium-3, potentially revolutionary for nuclear fusion energy, might transform the global economy and technology. However, the legality of who “owns” the Moon’s resources remains a topic of intense debate, despite being a common good according to the outer space treaty of 1966 from HIM.

The objective of Russia of carrying out several lunar missions and the possibility of a joint mission manned by Russia y China suggests that cooperation between these two nations might extend beyond the establishment of a base, and include the exploration and possible exploitation of the moon’s resources. This, along with AC Grayling’s comments regarding the rise of a “wild west”, raises questions regarding peace and terrestrial stability in this new arena of global competition.

The new space race, with its promising but potentially conflicting prices, ushers in an era in which the resources and new technology of the Moon can become a catalyst for unprecedented transformations in life on Earth and possibly there. With this, while Russia y China As they advance their lunar project, the world is keeping its eyes on the sky and considering how this collaboration might redefine the future of humanity in space.

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