China, Thailand to cooperate in peaceful use of outer space, lunar exploration missions

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Thai Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation on Friday jointly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the exploration and peaceful use of outer space and an MoU on cooperation in the international lunar scientific research station.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand attended and witnessed the signing. Zhang Kejian, director of the China National Space Administration, delivered a welcome speech at the ceremony.

According to the MoU, China and Thailand will set up joint committees and working groups to strengthen cooperation in the fields of space exploration, space application and space capacity building by planning and implementing joint space projects, scientific exchange programs and personnel training programs, exchanging data and information, and jointly organizing symposiums and scientific workshops.

The two sides will focus on the demonstration, engineering implementation, operation and application of the international lunar scientific research station, organize expert teams to conduct research from the three aspects of science, engineering and international cooperation, and form a cooperation plan. At the same time, other countries, international organizations, research institutes, universities, industrial entities and scientists are welcome to join the international lunar scientific research station program, and to benefit from joint space exploration activities.

Previously, China and Thailand signed a MoU on space cooperation in 2018 to jointly build the Lancang-Mekong river spatial information exchange and cooperation center and the Lancang-Mekong river remote sensing data center. In 2023, a space weather monitor developed by Thailand has been selected to be a part of the Chang’e-7 spacecraft’s payload. China and Thailand will cooperate on lunar exploration missions in the future.

The Chang’e-7 is a planned robotic Chinese lunar exploration mission expected to be launched in 2026 to target the lunar south pole. Like its predecessors, the spacecraft is named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e. The mission will include an orbiter, a lander, a mini-hopping probe, and a rover.