MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th October, 2019) Russian scientists could join the China-led TianQin Project, the space-borne gravitational-wave detector consisting of three space telescopes in Earth orbit, Vadim Milyukov, Doctor of Sciences in Sternberg Astronomical Institute of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), said on Tuesday.
"At the initiative of MSU rector Viktor Sadovnichiy and First Deputy General Director of Roscosmos Yury Urlichich,� several meetings were held with stakeholders to study opportunities to participate in such a collaboration within the framework of cooperation between Roscosmos and China National Space Administration," Milyukov said at a conference on gravitational and magnetic fields of Earth.
According to Milyukov, the meeting between the Russian and Chinese scientists to discuss a framework of future cooperation will take place in early 2020. After the meeting, the Russian academy of Sciences' Space Council and Roscosmos would decide on Russia's participation in the project, the scientist said.�
Construction of infrastructure needed for the launch of TianQin Project began in early 2016, while its official start is planned to take place in 2030. The estimated cost of the project would be about $2.3 billion.
