HELSINKI — Serbia has signed an agreement to participate in the China-led International Lunar Exploration Station.
Serbia’s Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation signed a memorandum of understanding with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) for cooperation on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) earlier this week.
The development was outlined in a Chinese Foreign Ministry document released on May 9 listing the results following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Serbia on May 7-8. The CNSA has yet to issue its own statement on the matter.
The pair also signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of innovation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, in addition to that for the ILRS.
The Chinese-led ILRS envisages building a permanent lunar base in 2030. This will be built using a rocket to launch super-heavy payloads. China also aims to send astronauts to the moon before 2030.
It will launch precursor missions in 2020. These include Chang’e-7 around 2026 and the later Chang’e-8 resource utilization technology test mission. Both multi-spacecraft missions will be aimed at the moon’s south pole. The Chang’e-6 sample return mission – currently in lunar orbit ahead of an expected landing attempt in early June – is nominally part of the program.
Chinese officials say the ILRS has a number of scientific and engineering objectives. These include lunar and earth science, astronomy, conducting experiments and using resources. Others are said to include spurring technological development and laying the groundwork for further lunar exploration in space.
This week, Russia said it was developing a nuclear power unit for the joint lunar station, Reuters reported, citing the RIA news agency.
It is unclear how Serbia will participate and contribute to the ILRS at this stage. China has previously stated its intention to establish an ILRS Cooperation Organization (ILRSCO) to oversee and manage the project. Its creation and subsequent meetings will likely begin to determine the participation of Serbia and other countries in the project. However, the development is remarkable for a number of reasons.
“I think it speaks to the interest in gaining access to the moon and not only that, but the interest in seeking out a partner that has been very effective in using space as a form of soft power: China,” Victoria Samson, Ch. director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, said SpaceNews via email.
“And while the agreement was made with China, I think you can’t ignore the historical proximity that Serbia has had with Russia and the ties between Serbia’s increasingly autocratic president and Putin.” So signing the ILRS allows Serbia to reaffirm its relationship with Russia, while gaining a much more tangible benefit in terms of its relationship with China.
“The more countries sign up to either the Artemis Accords or the ILRS, the more obvious it is that it is critical to figure out now – while the exploration is in its infancy – how best to halt activities on the Moon and make clear what all stakeholders consider to be responsible behavior in cislunar space so that we can ensure sustainable access to the Moon and its environs in the long term,” Samson added.
Serbia becomes the 11th country to join the ILRS, following Nicaragua and Thailand in April. China and Russia officially announced the joint ILRS project in St. Petersburg, Russia, in June 2021. Venezuela, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, South Africa and Egypt signed on in 2023.
| LRS Signed | Type |
|---|---|
| China | Country |
| Russia | Country |
| Belarus | Country |
| Pakistan | Country |
| Azerbaijan | Country |
| Venezuela | Country |
| South Africa | Country |
| Egypt | Country |
| Nicaragua | Country |
| Serbia | Country |
| Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) | Intergovernmental organization |
| nanoSPACE AG (Switzerland) | Hard |
| International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA, Hawaii) | Organization |
| National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) | institute |
| University of Sharjah (UAE) | university |
| Adriatic Aerospace Association (A3) (Croatia) | Organization |
| Astronomy Association of Colombia (ASASAC) | Organization |
| Arabayev Kyrgyz State University (Kyrgyzstan) | university |
| PT Universal Satelit Indonesia (UniSat) | Hard |
| Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences | Organization |
The constellation of ILRS signatory countries appears illustrative of a broader Chinese focus on the Global South. China has also attracted a number of organizations, universities and companies to join the ILRS. This includes the Adriatic Aerospace Association (A3) in Croatia.
The ILRS MoU is not the first bilateral space agreement between China and Serbia. The parties signed a memorandum on space technology in 2020. This agreement aimed to put a Serbian flag on a jointly designed spacecraft. It also aimed to improve cooperation in the development and use of space technologies for a range of applications.
Serbia, located on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, has a modest space sector. Serbian universities and research institutions deal with space sciences and related fields and participate in international projects. The University of Belgrade, for example, has engaged in research in astrophysics, satellite engineering and remote sensing.
Serbia is neither a member of the European Space Agency (ESA), nor an associate member of ESA, nor does it have a cooperation agreement with the agency. Hungary, where Xi Jinping made a state visit after Serbia, is a full member of the ESA. No agreement on ILRS appears to have been signed during this visit.
