International Lunar Research StationILRS

International Lunar Research Station (ILRS): members, missions and timeline

The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is a planned science base on the lunar surface and in lunar orbit. China's space agency CNSA proposed it and is developing it with Russia's Roscosmos. It is meant to run on its own for long periods, with short crewed visits.

China and Russia signed the intergovernmental agreement on 9 March 2021. CNSA's current plan, set out in April 2025, is a basic model by 2035 and an extended model by 2045. Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8, both bound for the lunar south pole region, are its first building blocks.

This page puts the membership, the mission roadmap and the key dates in one place, each with a source. The official timeline has changed more than once; where sources disagree, we say so below.

This site is an independent news tracker. It is not affiliated with CNSA, Roscosmos or the ILRS programme. Last checked against sources on Oct 30, 2026.

17

countries and international organizations (official count, Sep 2025) source

60+

research institutions

2035

target for the basic model source

2045

target for the extended model

Who has joined

The official count is 17 countries and international organizations, plus more than 60 research institutions. CNSA has not published the full list. Below are the signings we could match to a dated public source; China, as the initiator, is not listed.

Countries · 12

NameSignedSource
Russiaco-leadMar 9, 2021m.bjnews.com.cn
VenezuelaJul 17, 2023spacenews.com
South AfricaSep 1, 2023stdaily.com
AzerbaijanOct 3, 2023cnsa.gov.cn
PakistanOct 18, 2023m.huanqiu.com
BelarusOct 23, 2023m.huanqiu.com
EgyptDec 6, 2023cnsa.gov.cn
ThailandApr 5, 2024cnsa.gov.cn
NicaraguaApr 2024news.cn
SerbiaMay 2024spacenews.com
KazakhstanJul 3, 2024rferl.org
SenegalSep 5, 2024spacenews.com

Organizations and institutions · 17

NameSignedSource
Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) international organizationApr 25, 2023cnsa.gov.cn
Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences international organizationApr 2024news.cn
International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) international organization · United States2023spacenews.com
nanoSPACE AG Switzerland2023spacenews.com
University of Sharjah United Arab EmiratesNov 2023middleeastspacemonitor.substack.com
Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) EthiopiaApr 5, 2024new.spaceinafrica.com
Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology KenyaApr 8, 2024new.spaceinafrica.com
Astronomical Observatory Belgrade SerbiaSep 5, 2024ithome.com
Spacetalk SA SwitzerlandSep 5, 2024ithome.com
Orbital Space United Arab EmiratesSep 5, 2024ithome.com
Space Science Innovation Center of Panama PanamaSep 5, 2024ithome.com
University of Bandar Lampung IndonesiaSep 5, 2024ithome.com
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) PakistanSep 5, 2024ithome.com
South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) South AfricaSep 5, 2024ithome.com
Belt and Road Alliance for Science and Technology Sep 5, 2024spacenews.com
Foundation for Space Development Africa Sep 5, 2024spacenews.com
Africa Business Alliance Sep 5, 2024spacenews.com

Missions and roadmap

  1. Chang'e-6

    Completed

    Launched 3 May 2024, returned 25 June 2024

    First sample return from the lunar far side. CNSA lists it as a task of the ILRS basic phase. source

  2. Queqiao relay constellation

    In progress

    Demonstration under way

    Communication, navigation and remote-sensing relays for the station. Queqiao-2 launched in 2024. source

  3. Chang'e-7

    Postponed

    Was "around 2026"; did not launch in its 2026 window. No new official date.

    Orbiter, lander, rover and hopper for the south pole region: surveys the environment and resources. Carries six international payloads. source

  4. Luna-26 (Russia)

    Planned

    2028, per the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (August 2025)

    Orbiter to survey landing sites. source

  5. Luna-27 (Russia)

    Planned

    Earlier target 2028; no revised date found

    Lander. source

  6. Chang'e-8

    Planned

    Around 2029

    Tests using local lunar resources, near the south pole. Payloads from 11 countries and regions and one international organization. source

  7. Lunar nuclear power plant (Russia and China)

    Planned

    Agreement signed May 2025; no launch years given

    Power supply for the station, to be delivered on three Angara-A5M launches with the reactor on the third. source

  8. ILRS basic model

    Planned

    By 2035

    The core station. Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 are its key parts. source

  9. ILRS extended model

    Planned

    By 2045

    The expanded station. source

Timeline

  1. Chang'e-7 will not launch in its 2026 window: it "does not meet launch conditions". No reason or new date given. source

  2. NPO Lavochkin outlines delivering the lunar nuclear power plant in three launches. source

  3. Xinhua: 17 countries and international organizations and more than 60 institutions have signed. source

  4. Russia's Luna-26 orbiter reported slipped to 2028. source

  5. Roscosmos and CNSA sign a memorandum on a lunar power plant for the ILRS during a Xi–Putin meeting. source

  6. International payloads for Chang'e-8 announced; launch around 2029. source

  7. "555 Project" unveiled: a goal of 50 countries, 500 institutions and 5,000 researchers (as reported by Reuters). source

  8. CNSA: 17 countries and international organizations plus more than 50 institutions; basic model by 2035, extended model by 2045. source

  9. Senegal joins; ten institutions sign with the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory at the second Tiandu conference. source

  10. Chang'e-6 brings back the first samples from the lunar far side. source

  11. Egypt joins, the first Arab country to do so. source

  12. Venezuela joins, the first country after Russia. source

  13. The Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization signs a joint statement with CNSA, the first international organization. source

  14. ILRS Roadmap V1.0 and Guide for Partnership V1.0 released at GLEX 2021 in St Petersburg. source

  15. CNSA and Roscosmos issue a joint declaration on the ILRS. source

  16. China and Russia sign the intergovernmental memorandum on building the ILRS, by video link. source

ILRS and Artemis compared

AspectILRSArtemis
Led byCNSA (China) with Roscosmos (Russia) sourceNASA. The Artemis Accords were launched in 2020 by the US with seven other founding signatories. source
FrameworkA China–Russia intergovernmental memorandum (2021), plus bilateral statements and agreements at agency level sourceThe Artemis Accords: shared principles that reaffirm the Outer Space Treaty, the Registration Convention and the Rescue Agreement source
Partners17 countries and international organizations, plus more than 60 institutions (September 2025) source78 nations (Vietnam, 28 October 2026) source
Base targetBasic model by 2035, extended model by 2045 sourceA "Moon Base", described as the first lunar outpost; no date given source
WhereLunar surface and orbit; Chang'e-7 and -8 target the south pole region sourceThe south pole region (Artemis IV); the Moon Base near the south pole source
Crewed landingShort crewed visits are planned; no date in the sources we read sourceFirst crewed landing on Artemis IV, early 2028. Artemis III is now a 2027 test in Earth orbit. source
Latest flagship stepChang'e-6 far-side sample return (2024); Chang'e-7 postponed from its 2026 window sourceArtemis II crewed lunar flyby (April 2026) source

Our Artemis coverage

Our coverage

Our reporting on the ILRS and the Chang'e programme, newest first.

What is uncertain

  • The official timeline has moved. In April 2023 CNSA said a basic model by 2028 and completion by 2040; in April 2025 it said 2035 and 2045. Roscosmos gave 2036 in May 2025.
  • The figure of 17 countries and international organizations comes with no breakdown and has not changed since September 2024. The countries listed above, plus the intergovernmental bodies, do not clearly add up to 17. Roscosmos said "13 countries" in May 2025.
  • We found no new country signing in 2025 or 2026.
  • Sources differ by a day or two on some signing dates (Egypt, Pakistan, Kazakhstan). We use CNSA's date where it gives one.
  • Chang'e-7: no official reason or new date has been given. Dates in 2027 seen elsewhere are not official.
  • The south pole location comes from where Chang'e-7 and -8 are going. The CNSA texts we read describe the station only as on the surface and in orbit.
  • The 2028 date for Luna-26 came from the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, not from Roscosmos.
All sources · 30
  1. news.cn http://www.news.cn/liangzi/20250919/636424fa8ab94847bb8d6f55e9eb392c/c.html
  2. cnsa.gov.cn https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758844/n10663475/n10663416/c10666346/content.html
  3. m.bjnews.com.cn https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/161529303515566.html
  4. spacenews.com https://spacenews.com/venezuela-signs-up-to-chinas-moon-base-initiative/
  5. stdaily.com https://www.stdaily.com/web/English/2023-09/14/content_1935704.html
  6. cnsa.gov.cn https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758838/c10393280/content.html
  7. m.huanqiu.com https://m.huanqiu.com/article/4F5NPOAAFfl
  8. cnsa.gov.cn https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758838/c10427728/content.html
  9. cnsa.gov.cn https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758838/c10496980/content.html
  10. news.cn http://www.news.cn/tech/20240424/8ee86bf802e64fefa7eaf43e45d3cbb3/c.html
  11. spacenews.com https://spacenews.com/serbia-becomes-latest-country-to-join-chinas-ilrs-moon-base-project/
  12. rferl.org https://www.rferl.org/a/china-kazakhstan-space-russia-ilrs-moon/33075952.html
  13. spacenews.com https://spacenews.com/senegal-among-new-members-of-chinas-ilrs-moon-base-project/
  14. cnsa.gov.cn https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758838/c10004417/content.html
  15. middleeastspacemonitor.substack.com https://middleeastspacemonitor.substack.com/p/middle-east-space-roundup-19-to-25
  16. new.spaceinafrica.com https://new.spaceinafrica.com/2024/04/21/ssgi-and-kaist-join-china-led-moon-project-ilrs/
  17. ithome.com https://www.ithome.com/0/793/624.htm
  18. english.news.cn http://english.news.cn/20240625/b32da60752504a5184d5a8b5b467dbce/c.html
  19. english.news.cn https://english.news.cn/20260823/c9f7c3ca36c94a26a6a3ffc09e7a810d/c.html
  20. themoscowtimes.com https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/10/03/russia-delays-moon-and-venus-missions-again
  21. english.www.gov.cn https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202504/24/content_WS6809d0a2c6d0868f4e8f208f.html
  22. interfax.com https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/111329/
  23. tass.com https://tass.com/science/2113811
  24. militaryaerospace.com https://www.militaryaerospace.com/power/article/55286266/china-russia-make-plans-for-lunar-nuclear-power-plant
  25. news.cgtn.com https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-06-16/China-Russia-jointly-issue-roadmap-for-intl-lunar-research-station-1194Y8dV2F2/index.html
  26. nasa.gov https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords/
  27. nasa.gov https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/oiir/nasa-welcomes-vietnam-as-newest-artemis-accords-signatory/
  28. nasa.gov https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/
  29. nasa.gov https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iv/
  30. nasa.gov https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-adds-mission-to-artemis-lunar-program-updates-architecture/