Space Research Institute RAS
Russian planetary science institute; built the LILEM instrument flying on China's Chang'e 7.
Last refreshed: 17 April 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
How did Russia secure a science presence at the Moon's south pole before NASA gets there?
Timeline for Space Research Institute RAS
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Artemis II Moon Mission: Chang'e 7 lands Russian payload at ShackletonBackground
The Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS) contributed the LILEM (Lunar Dust and Electric Field Instrument) payload to China's Chang'e 7 mission, confirmed for H2 2026 launch. LILEM will operate at the rim of Shackleton crater, the same lunar south-pole landing zone targeted by NASA's Artemis programme, giving Russia a Science-cooperation foothold at the site 18 to 24 months before any American crewed arrival.
IKI RAS is the principal Russian institution for space Science, planetary exploration, and astrophysics research. Founded in 1965, it developed instruments for Soviet Mars and Venus missions and has remained a significant contributor to international space Science despite the geopolitical isolation that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia's direct partnership with NASA and ESA collapsed after 2022. The LILEM collaboration with China represents a pivot to Sino-Russian space Science cooperation and gives Roscosmos adjacent programmes a presence at a strategically significant lunar site. Western agencies currently have no equivalent instrument at Shackleton rim ahead of the crewed Artemis landing.
What is Russia's role in the Chang'e 7 mission?
Why is Russia working with China on the Moon?
What does IKI RAS do?
