China Plans to Send Robot Dogs to a Lunar Station

Chinese specialists are considering sending four-legged robots, or robot dogs, to the future International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). According to a concept published in Chinese Space Science and Technology, these intelligent machines are expected to closely assist astronauts with scientific research, technical inspections, and infrastructure construction. Ixbt.com reports .

Under the new project, four-legged robots would regularly monitor the area around the base. Unlike wheeled vehicles, they can move more freely across uneven terrain and successfully overcome rocks and small obstacles. Robot dogs would also collect samples of lunar soil and rocks, study the environment, and assist the crew during scientific experiments.

Assistants and Companions in Space

Under one of the scenarios being considered, three robots and three astronauts could work together and divide tasks among themselves. In the future, the four-legged devices may be assigned more complex duties, including building and maintaining a permanent settlement. They could potentially extract water ice and useful minerals, transport materials, and help create structures from locally sourced lunar materials.

Automation would also affect daily life at the base. The robots are theoretically expected to monitor air parameters and temperature, perform cleaning tasks, care for plants, and even help prepare food. The project also has a distinctive social aspect, with voice interfaces being proposed for the robots.

Technical Challenges and Future Plans

According to experts, operating autonomously on the Moon is much more difficult than on Earth. Most modern machine vision and navigation systems are trained using terrestrial data, but the lunar surface differs dramatically in its lighting, terrain, and temperature. Robots will therefore require specialized algorithms and additional training.

Robot dogs are being considered as part of the ILRS program’s broader plans. The base infrastructure is expected to take shape around 2035 and then be expanded. By 2045, a more advanced system of facilities is expected to emerge on the lunar surface and in orbit, with the main focus on the south pole, where water ice reserves are located.