China announces new partners for International Lunar Research Station

WUHAN, April 24 -- More partners, including one country and two international organizations, will participate in the construction and operation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Wednesday.

The latest progress on the ILRS program, which was initiated by China, was revealed at the launch ceremony of the Space Day of China in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province.

The new partners of the ILRS include Nicaragua, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences. China will collaborate with these three parties on various issues concerning the ILRS, including its demonstration, engineering implementation, operation and application, according to the CNSA.

The officials at the CNSA have signed agreements and memorandums of understanding regarding the cooperation on the ILRS with relevant officials from the three sides.

The building of the International Lunar Research Station will be carried out in three phases, with a basic model of the station expected to be completed by around 2030.

According to the CNSA, the research station will operate autonomously for a long period, with short-term human participation.

Starting in 2016, China chose April 24 as the Space Day of China to mark the launch of its first satellite "Dongfanghong-1" into space on April 24, 1970.