China launches global initiative for cislunar space exploration

China has launched an international scientific initiative, calling for joint efforts to explore the space between Earth and the moon.

Initiated by China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory and the International Deep Space Exploration Association, the International Cislunar Cubesat Constellation Program plans to deploy satellite groups in cislunar space for systematic space environment monitoring, gamma-ray burst detection, and lunar resources exploration, with full deployment scheduled for around 2030 to fill global gaps in systematic cislunar observation, according to the Hefei-headquartered laboratory.

Spanning from low Earth orbits to about 2 million kilometers from Earth, cislunar space is a vital domain for future human lunar missions and lunar base construction, the laboratory said in a statement, adding that current exploration relies on sporadic single-point detection, suffering from insufficient spatiotemporal coverage and inadequate data of key regions.

Research institutions from countries including Thailand, Serbia and Egypt have joined the project, with phase-one development underway.

The program aims to transform cislunar exploration from intermittent single-point detection to continuous networked observation, supporting deep space research and human lunar mission safety, the laboratory said.

China will independently develop and provide three standard payloads for free to partners.

A total of 30 Cubesats will be deployed in six batches into orbits, boosting gamma-ray burst positioning accuracy to the sub-arcsecond level, according to the laboratory.