The Ukrainian Yuzhnoye design bureau is working under a project of a permanent base on the Moon surface. As Vesti-Ukraine reports, the project is expected to be implemented together with the European Space Agency in next decades.
According to Hennadiy Osinoviy, the head of the design department for special space and missile systems, the project is to be implemented in five stages.
The preliminary stage (2020-2030) envisages mapping of the Moon surface and designing of a heavy launcher called Krypton and needed templates.
The next stage (2030-2032) supposes that experts will determine the location of the future base. It will be the place where the Krypton missile will deliver four astronauts and units to establish the base. A space station is to be injected to the orbit.
The third stage envisages delivering to the Moon and installing there a command and maintenance units, power generating facility and a moonwalker.
The fourth stage (2042-2062) will complete establishing the life-supporting systems, operations support facilities and an observatory. In 2062, Ukrainians plan to launch the permanent base that does not need human presence on the Moon.
The designers acknowledge the project is very complicated and expensive. They comprehend that “only efforts of many companies from many countries will allow implementing the project.” Surely, Kiev does not plan to spend money on the mega project as it does not have it. Ukraine expects that governments of developed countries would decide to finance the project.
It is actually not clear yet, why the governments of developed countries should want a Ukrainian base on the Moon. It is not clear either if they know that Ukraine decided how to spend their money till 2062.