---
title: "China and Russia Sign Deal to Build Research Base on Moon"
description: "Russia and China have signed a memorandum of understanding that formalizes their plans to develop a Moon base together -- and without NASA."
date: "2021-03-09"
modified: "2021-03-09"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-russia-research-base-moon"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "china"
  - "moon"
  - "Russia"
  - "the digest"
---

# China and Russia Sign Deal to Build Research Base on Moon

![Russia and China have signed a memorandum of understanding that formalizes their plans to develop a Moon base together -- and without NASA.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/china-russia-moon.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Jorono via Pixabay / Futurism\</em\>*

## Moon Pact

Now it's official.

Back in February, the governments of Russia and China agreed, informally, to [collaborate on an upcoming Moon base](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-russia-agree-collaborate-lunar-base>).

Now, both countries have gone ahead and [signed a memorandum of understanding](<https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/china-and-russia-say-they-will-work-together-to-build-a-lunar-station/>) that formalizes those plans — an intriguing collaboration which, if it goes anywhere, could cut NASA out of both nations' goal for a long term Moon presence.

## Red Moon

The collab, [announced today](<https://www.roscosmos.ru/30248/>) by Russian space agency Roscosmos, has an interesting historical context.

Under the USSR, Russia accomplished a great number of firsts in space travel — including an active Moon program — which locked it in the iconic 1950s and 1960s Space Race against the United States and NASA.

Although China did kick off a reasonably ambitious space program in the early 1970s, it was never a major contender during the Space Race.

## Strange Bedfellows

Now, though, China's CNSA has succeeded in launching astronauts to orbit, [sent a rover to Mars orbit](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-releases-breathtaking-video-from-spacecraft-orbiting-mars>), and is planning an [ambitious new space station](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinas-heavenly-palace-space-station-dazzling>) and [even a crewed Mars mission](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-plans-send-astronauts-mars>).

Those advances, though, have come during a period when Russia's space ambitions have languished. Together, will the two be able to establish a permanent presence on the Moon, independently from NASA? Only time will tell.

**READ MORE:** [Russia turns away from NASA, says it will work with China on a Moon base](<https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/china-and-russia-say-they-will-work-together-to-build-a-lunar-station/>) \[*Ars Technica*\]

**More on Moon bases:** [*China and Russia Agree to Collaborate on Lunar Base*](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-russia-agree-collaborate-lunar-base>)

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)