Robotic dogs will head to the Moon as part of China's plan to build a lunar station

Canines in space? Beijing's lunar base project enlists four-legged robots

According to НВ — Техно: On August 10 at 12:34, China announced that upgraded robot dogs will be sent to the Moon to handle a wide range of responsibilities, from exploration and security to construction and housekeeping. The plan is part of a broader campaign to establish a sustainable Chinese presence on and around the Moon. The announcement was detailed in an article in the Chinese journal Space Science and Technology and later picked up by the South China Morning Post. The four-legged machines are expected to serve as patrol leaders and guards, keeping watch over lunar research stations.

The robot dogs' duties may include:

• surveying the terrain;
• collecting rock samples;
• performing precision tasks needed to prepare the Moon for long-term human residence.

According to the South China Morning Post, the robots could also support:

• water-ice collection;
• mineral extraction;
• construction using materials found on the Moon.

These capabilities would help create the infrastructure needed for future missions. In addition, the robot dogs would take on domestic chores such as regulating air and temperature, cleaning living spaces, tending plants, cooking meals, and communicating with astronauts.

China's timeline calls for the first lunar base to be completed by 2035, with a larger orbital complex to follow by 2045. The country also plans to launch a water-ice extraction mission to the Moon's south pole in August 2026.

Earlier technology milestones include a semi-autonomous dog-shaped unmanned ground vehicle delivered to the Cape Cod space station on February 24, 2023. Chinese researchers have also trained a robot dog to climb stairs and leap over logs using reinforcement learning. These advances are expected to help the robots switch seamlessly between a steady trot and a faster jumping stride without needing commands from a human operator.

The robot-dog lunar station project underscores China's ambitions in space exploration and its push to develop advanced technologies.

Deploying such robotic systems could greatly improve how tasks are carried out on the Moon while lowering risks for human crews. If successful, the project may open new possibilities for space exploration and encourage international cooperation in space technology.