Russia Not Planning On Participating In US Lunar Exploration Projects - Roscosmos Chief

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2020) Roscosmos, the Russian state space agency, does not intend to participate in the United States' new Artemis lunar exploration program and the proposed Lunar Gateway space station, the head of the agency Dmitry Rogozin told Sputnik in an interview.

"The US Artemis project for landing on the moon and the creation of the Lunar Gateway space station are clearly American programs, which place other participants on the sidelines. This is very strange. It is reminiscent of NATO, where US troops in Europe feed at the cost of European countries. This is not at all like the international cooperation seen in the International Space Station. At the moment, the Artemis and Gateway programs are not at all international, which of course, we cannot accept," Rogozin said.

During the same interview, Rogozin told Sputnik that Russia and China will start talks this coming fall to discuss the potential concept and goals of a joint lunar base.

US President Donald Trump has publicly backed attempts to resume manned flights to the Moon by 2024. The US space agency NASA subsequently announced the launch of the Artemis program, which will also help explore the potential of manned flights to Mars.

NASA has also announced plans to build the Lunar Gateway space station, which will orbit close to the Moon. Initially, foreign partners were invited to participate in the project, and Roscosmos and NASA even signed an agreement to work on a proposed near-Moon station in 2017, although these joint plans have yet to develop.