On Wednesday, the People's Republic of China examined the possibility of building a nuclear power plant on the moon involving cooperation between Russia and China.
The major project was signed to provide power for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).
China plans to become a major space power with a mission to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and the Chang'e mission in 2028 will be the basis for the construction of a manned lunar base.
The chief engineer of the 2028 mission, Pei Zhaoyu, indicated that the power supply to the lunar base is likely to rely on large-scale solar panels, heating cables, electricity supply and pipelines.
Last year, the Russian space agency planned to build a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) by 2035.
The participation of a nuclear power unit in a presentation by Chinese space officials at the ILRS conference session attended by international officials from 17 countries shows Beijing supports the idea despite no official announcement.
The chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, Wu Weiren, said Russia has a natural advantage in energy for ILRS, especially in nuclear power plant technology and its delivery to space compared to the United States (US).
He hoped that the cooperation between the two countries to send a nuclear reactor to the moon could be realized after no progress in previous negotiations.
In the future, China plans to launch 'Project 555' with the aim of widening involvement in ILRS through invitations to 500 international research institutions, 5,000 overseas researchers and the participation of 50 countries.
