China's lunar station will now be ready eight years sooner, in 2027

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) recently announced that its uncrewed station on the moon will be completed around 2027.

The station will be built in partnership with Russia and is now expected to be completed eight years ahead of the previous schedule. The Chang'e 8 scheduled for 2027 was set to conduct science operations such as 3D printing using lunar dust but has now been expanded to include the construction of the uncrewed lunar station.

Wu Yanhua, the Deputy Director of CNSA, made the announcement, stating the mission is to "build a solid foundation for the peaceful use of lunar resources." The updated timeline could be in response to the proposed Artemis Accords put forward by the U.S. government and NASA, which would allow governments and private companies to cordon off their facilities and certain zones on the moon, forbidding entry by others.

While more than a dozen U.S. allies have signed the accords, China and Russia are opposed to them, as they maintain that the accords challenge existing international protocols. Zhang Chongfeng, the Deputy Chief Designer of China's crewed space program, highlights that the United Nations' Moon Treaty states that the moon belongs to the entire human race.