(ECNS) -- The Second International Deep Space Exploration Conference kicked off on Thursday in Tunxi District of Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province.
During the opening ceremony, China National Space Administration signed an agreement on International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) cooperation with its counterpart of Senegal.
China's Deep Space Exploration Lab (DSEL) also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 10 research institutions from countries including Serbia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
In 2017, China National Space Administration launched the ILRS cooperation initiative to the international community. So far, 17 countries (international organizations included) and over 40 global institutions have signed cooperative documents with China.
The ILRS is a scientific experimental facility consisting of sections on the lunar surface, in lunar orbit and on Earth. It is designed to be an expandable and maintainable system capable of long-term automatic operation with short-term human participation on the moon.
Heads of astronautical institutes from China, Laos, Türkiye, Venezuela, Senegal and Cuba also discussed the ILRS science and engineering cooperation at a round-table meeting on Thursday.
The conference has attracted about 100 foreign participants from more than 40 countries, regions and international organizations and 300 Chinese experts and scholars.