Putin’s space nuke threat: Vladimir says setting up a nuclear-powered unit in space is ‘a
- Vladimir Putin says setting up a nuclear-powered unit in space is a priority
- Russia and China have previously said they want to set one up within ten years
- The two nations are collaborating on the International Lunar Research Station
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that setting up a nuclear-powered unit in space is a priority.
It comes after Yuri Borisov, head of Russia‘s space agency Roscosmos, said last week that Russia and China were considering putting a nuclear power plant on the moon from 2033-35.
The two countries are collaborating on the International Lunar Research Station, a massive complex on the moon that is set break ground in 2026.
The proposed base, which will have a radius of nearly four miles, larger than any Disney theme park, will house scientists who will deeply study the properties of the moon.
Borisov, the former deputy prime minister of Russia, spoke of the plans at the at the Knowledge.First marathon as part of the World Youth Festival.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that setting up a nuclear-powered unit in space is a priority
China and Russia are collaborating on the International Lunar Research Station, a massive complex on the moon that is set break ground in 2026 (File image)
He revealed further details about the Luna-27 mission, which is being launched with the European Space Agency.
He said the mission would see two Russian rockets try and reach both the north and south poles of the moon in 2028.
The news comes after China and Russia confirmed they had been in talks over ‘outer space security’ and ‘AI weapons.’
Officials met in February to address ‘doctrinal guidelines and initiatives of Russia and China.’
The nations agrees to further cooperation under the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) of the States Parties to the Convention on Inhumane Weapons on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), a UN-backed policy on weapons development.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said at the time: ‘The meeting confirmed the closeness of the Russian and Chinese approaches to this issue.
‘It was noted that there is a need for further close cooperation in this area both in the bilateral format and in the relevant multilateral platforms, primarily within the framework of the GGE on LAWS.’
China, meanwhile, added that talks covered ‘outer space security, biosecurity, and artificial intelligence.’
China also announced it was planning on installing an all-seeing surveillance system on the moon to protect a planned lunar base bigger than Disneyland using the technology it uses to spy on its citizens.
The nation wants to use the ‘successful experience’ of its authoritarian Skynet surveillance system to protect the planned base against ‘suspicious targets’, according to a research paper written by scientists at the nation’s space agency that was published in an academic journal.
Skynet is the world’s largest surveillance network, and is used to monitor every nook and cranny of China. With more than 600 million cameras, there is on average one camera for every two adults in the nation.