NASA and Roskosmos, the space agencies of the USA and Russia, have signed an agreement to create a "Deep Space Gateway" - an orbital space station near the Moon, which will serve as a gateway for sending manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and farther out into deep space. BRICS countries including India may participate in this project.
From the Russian news agency:
http://tass.com/science/967781
The heads of the Russian and US space agencies have agreed on joint efforts to create what has been called a Deep Space Gateway (DSG) cislunar station, Roscosmos CEO Igor Komarov told the media at an International Astronautical Congress in Australia.
"We’ve agreed to jointly participate in the project for creating a new international lunar station Deep Space Gateway. In the first phase we will create the orbital component with a view to eventually use well-tested technologies on the surface of the Moon and, in the longer term, Mars. The first modules may be put in space in 2024-2026," Komarov said.
So far the participating countries have held a preliminary discussion on their likely contributions.
"We may provide one to three modules and the standards for a unified docking mechanism for all spacecraft that would be approaching the station. Also, Russia offers to use its future super-heavy space rocket, currently in the development phase, for taking parts and components to the Moon’s orbit," Komarov said. Roscosmos’s manned programs director, Sergey Krikalyov, said that alongside the airlock unit Russia might provide a residential module for a future station.
Komarov said individual countries’ technological contribution and the financial aspect of a future project would be the subject matter of the next phase of the talks.
"For now we’ve signed a joint statement on the intention to work on a lunar space station project and to eventually work on missions on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. A future treaty will require fundamental research and examination at the inter-state level," Komarov said.
Participation of the BRICS member-states in this project was approved.
"Our initiative was taken into account of expanding the number of countries that might take part in discussing this project. It was decided that China, India and other BRICS countries would be involved in the joint work on the lunar station," Komarov said.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-roscosmos-sign-joint-statement-on-researching-exploring-deep-space
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/russia-will-work-u-s-manned-lunar-spaceport-n805336
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