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Russia helped China with its lunar program — Roscosmos CEO

Space cooperation benefit both countries, Dmitry Rogozin said
Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin Gavriil Grigorov/TASS
Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin
© Gavriil Grigorov/TASS

MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. Russia supplied China with technologies that helped implement its lunar program, the CEO of Russia's Roscosmos corporation, Dmitry Rogozin, told the radio station Komsomolskya Pravda in an interview on Wednesday.

"Few know that the Moon probe China launched exists primarily thanks to Russia's radioisotope thermoelectric generator. In fact, we provided an isotope generator that keeps the Chinese probe going. China is implementing its space program with Russia's support," he said.

Rogozin said that space cooperation benefited both countries.

"The Chinese are making good progress. Their space program is well-funded. They have made considerable progress technologically. At first, they replicated Soviet technologies, but now they have moved much farther. They have the financial, organizational and technological capabilities for setting ambitious goals."

On March 9, Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in creating an international lunar research station. The signing ceremony was held in a video-conference mode. Russia and China plan to use joint experience and scientific technologies for building an international research station on the Moon. As follows from the statement, bilateral cooperation in this field envisage studies of the lunar surface and joint projects in lunar orbits.

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