BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2019) China and Russia are exploring opportunities for the joint exploration of the Moon in 2023 as part of the Russian Luna 26 probe and the Chinese Chang'e 7 mission, Yu Guobin, the vice director of the Chinese space agency's Lunar and Space Exploration Engineering Center, told Sputnik on Saturday.
"The Russian orbiter Luna 26 will observe Earth's natural satellite from the orbit. The time period of the Luna 26 launch almost coincides with the planned launch of our Chang'e 7 probe so we will be able to simultaneously carry out observations and share data ... Teams of specialists of the two countries are currently engaged in thorough discussions concerning specific details [of the cooperation project]," Yu said.
When asked about the time frame of the Chang'e 7mission, Yu noted that the flight was planned for 2023.
Yu also noted the long-term cooperation between China and Russia which "both countries make an account of and appreciate."
The official recalled that the two states had established a commission on space cooperation with a task force on Moon research and had signed memorandums and agreements for joint projects.
Russian space agency Roscosmos has said that the launch of the Luna 26 probe was scheduled for 2023.
