Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Credit: via Roscosmos

Russia’s Roscosmos space agency has announced that a government contract has been struck with NPO Lavochkin to create a lunar power station by 2036.

It is not immediately clear in the Roscosmos statement if that power station would be nuclear. However, the contract implementation period is 2025–2036 and involves Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute participation.

Rosatom is a Russian state nuclear corporation.

The Kurchatov Institute is Russia’s leading nuclear research institute.

Power to lunar consumers

The power plant work is to also engage the facilities of foreign partners.

Artist’s view of International Lunar Research Station to be completed by 2035. Credit: CNSA/Roscosmos

In a Roscosmos statement, the purpose of the lunar power station is projected to be a long-term power supply to consumers (moon rovers, observatory) of the Russian lunar program, as well as infrastructure facilities of the international scientific lunar station.

Long-term lunar exploration

Roscosmos said a set of tasks are scripted, from development of spacecraft, ground-experimental testing, flight tests and deploying infrastructure on the Moon.

“The project is an important step toward creating a permanent scientific lunar station and transitioning from one-time missions to a long-term lunar exploration program,” Roscosmos stated in a December 24^th posting.

Russia is blueprinting a robotic lunar exploration program, such as this Luna-26, a Moon orbiter.
Image credit: NPO Lavochkin

China/Russia cooperation

Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) signed a memorandum on cooperation in building the lunar power plant on May 8.

Furthermore, in March 2021, China and Russia inked an intergovernmental memorandum to cooperate in a multi-phased International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).