--- title: "China and Russia’s Moon Base Alliance May Be Falling Apart" description: "China may have chosen the shadiest way to broadcast that there's trouble in paradise with its joint lunar mission with Russia." date: "2022-09-30" modified: "2022-09-30" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-russia-space-issues" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "china" - "lunar mission" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # China and Russia’s Moon Base Alliance May Be Falling Apart ![China may have chosen the shadiest way to broadcast that there's trouble in paradise with its joint lunar mission with Russia.]() *Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at a memorial to the Hero Cities during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexandrovsky Garden near the Kremlin wall in Moscow on June 22, 2022 to commemorate those who lost their lives defending the Soviet Union against Nazi invaders 81-years-ago. - Russia marks the Day of Memory and Sorrow on June 22. (Photo by Mikhail METZEL / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) \Image: Getty \* ## Throwing Shade China may have chosen the most passive aggressive way to broadcast issues in its space collaboration with Russia: by simply removing the country's name from presentations at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris. As [*SpaceNews* reports](), China advertised that it was looking for new international collaborators "while omitting mention of main partner Russia" at the IAC in Paris last week, with a chief Chinese space representative telling the assembled experts that the country is open to international proposals for its Chang'e-7 lander and orbiter mission. Ouch! ## Falling Out Needless to say, we're reading tea leaves here. But the omission is striking, because in March 2021 [China and Russia signed a cooperation contract]() to build a lunar base together, a project which was to be called the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Like NASA's long-delayed Artemis program, aims to set up shop [near the Moon's south pole](). Timelines [released by the China National Space Administration]() (CNSA) indicate that the countries are currently in the "reconnaissance" phase of the project, which hopes to host crewed lunar missions by the mid-2030s. ## Awkward Timing The *SpaceNews* report notes that Russia was not at the IAC because of its invasion of Ukraine, which could account for the omission — but it's a pretty jarring partnership to fail to mention given how much fanfare it's received in the 18 months since the ILRS was announced. Indeed, the only indication that the ILRS is supposed to be jointly spearheaded by China and Russia came on a single slide, the report adds, which noted that future Chang'e and Russian Luna missions would be undertaken in cooperation between the the countries. "Be it in space or elsewhere, China has a very realistic view of Russia and partnering with Moscow has never been Beijing’s most preferred outcome, for the two countries are not natural partners," European Space Policy Institute senior research fellow Marco Aliberti told *SpaceNews*. "In moving forward," Aliberti added, "Beijing now seems to be increasingly confronted with a difficult dilemma: turn the relationship into a real partnership or drop it altogether." It certainly does sound like a difficult dilemma — and one that will undoubtedly result in more drama. **READ MORE:** [China seeks new partners for lunar and deep space exploration]() \[*SpaceNews*\] **More Chinese space stuff:** *[Chinese Rover Discovers Evidence of Ancient Ocean on Mars]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()