MOSCOW. May 28 (Interfax) - The Russian State Duma on Tuesday ratified the agreement between the Russian and Chinese governments on cooperation in building an international lunar research station.
The agreement signed on November 25, 2022 "meets the interests of the Russian Federation, as it will help strengthen the strategic partnership between Russia and China, develop Russian space activities, and bolster the Russian Federation's leading role in space exploration, including Moon research and usage efforts," an explanatory note to the document said.
The objective of the international lunar research station is to conduct multidisciplinary and multipurpose scientific studies, including with a focus on Moon research and usage, and run fundamental exploratory experiments and test technologies, including the station's potential long-term unmanned operation and a possible human presence on the Moon.
Bilateral Russian-Chinese cooperation in creating and operating the international lunar research station will make it possible to enhance the effectiveness of research on board the station due to a decrease in the cost of building and operating it, as well as help avoid potential technical and financial risks during exploration and usage of the Moon and train researchers and specialists who will be in charge of scientific space projects in the future, the documents accompanying the agreement said.
The agreement includes a provision on protecting intellectual property that will be created or transferred under the agreement and on the legal and physical protection of the parties' assets located in each other's territory. It also formalizes customs regulation procedures.
The solutions proposed in the ratification bill will help achieve the goals of the Russian Space Activity state program, including through steps to encourage the development of the Russian space sector's technological potential and human resources, the explanatory note said.