- In February, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping said that Beijing is planning to boost its cooperation with Russia in a number of spheres, including space.
- Exploration of the Moon and Mars is a priority for the Russian space program. In mid-April, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia plans to launch its national orbital station by 2023. The station is to serve as a base for Russia’s lunar program. Spacecraft will be delivered first to the station, then proceeding to the Moon.
- On April 22, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos head Igor Komarov said that Russia is expected to carry out a manned mission orbiting the Moon in 2025 and conduct a manned landing on the surface of the Moon in 2029.