Ethiopia is seeking to participate in the unmanned space mission to the moon scheduled for 2028 and the International Lunar Station project with Russia, Ethiopia's Deputy Minister for Innovation and Technology, Yeshurun Alemayehu, was quoted as saying by local media.
The minister held talks with a delegation from China, led by Hu Zhaobin, Deputy Director of the China Deep Space Research Laboratory, on possible cooperation in deep space exploration.
Yehoshurun Alemayehu reportedly requested China's assistance in training national personnel for space exploration, especially for the search for natural resources on the Moon and other celestial bodies.
Algeria and Egypt have also expressed interest in participating in the International Lunar Station project, according to local media.
What is International Lunar Station Project?
In March 2021, the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos and China signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation on the creation of the International Scientific Lunar Station.
During the lunar program, the Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 automatic stations will be sent to Earth's natural satellite.
The purpose of the first lunar missions will be to test key technologies that will allow the construction of a set of experimental and research facilities that can be operated remotely.
The first mission will go to the Moon in 2026, and the project is expected to be completed by 2028. In early March, Yury Borisov, head of Roscosmos, said that Russia and China were considering the possibility of deploying a nuclear power plant to the Moon and installing it on its surface in 2033-2035.
Ethiopia's Space Research
In line with the Ethiopian leadership's commitment to intensify the development of science, technology, innovation and technological capabilities, the Ethiopian Institute of Space Science and Technology was established by government decree in 2016.
Renamed the Institute of Space Sciences and Geospatial Research in 2022, it is now the leading national space research institution.
Ethiopia has also built East Africa's largest observatory and research center in Entoto, north of the capital, Addis Ababa. A national space research program is underway and funding from the national budget is steadily increasing.