Advertisement
2 major space institutes in Africa join China-led moon project
- Ethiopia’s Space Science and Geospatial Institute and the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have joined the ILRS
- The China-led project aims to build a permanent base on the moon by the mid-2030s and is seen as a rival to the US-led Artemis programme
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
7
Ling Xinin Ohio
Two more African partners have joined the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) initiative, which aims to build a permanent base on the moon by the mid-2030s.
Advertisement
Ethiopia’s Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) and the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have this month signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) on ILRS-related cooperation with representatives from China.
Their participation follows more than a dozen agencies, institutes and organisations – including the national space agencies of South Africa and Egypt – to be part of the ambitious plan.
On April 5, Hu Zhaobin, deputy director of China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, signed the MOU with SSGI director Abdissa Yilma in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, according to the lab’s official WeChat account.
During their meeting, Yilma said the institute would actively participate in and promote the construction of the ILRS. Meanwhile, Hu said he hoped the project would help boost the development of Ethiopia’s aerospace sector and space exploration technologies.
Then on April 8, Hu signed the cooperation memorandum with KAIST acting principal Jennifer W. Khamasi during his visit to the Konza Techno City south of Nairobi.
Advertisement
Advertisement