China and Russia propose lunar spectrum access rules at ITU

The Moon's Radio Queue Is Forming. China and Russia Want to Write the Line Rules.

Why it matters

The ITU is already studying lunar frequencies. A new proposal from Beijing and Moscow asks its November conference to settle a bigger question: how every country gets a fair place in that queue.

Daniel Kade25 October 2026 at 09:44 UTCReading Time 2 minLast update: 25 October 2026

Summary

China and Russia have proposed an ITU resolution on equitable, transparent and sustainable use of radio frequencies on and around the Moon.
ITU engineers already have a WRC-27 assignment on lunar surface and orbit communications. The November proposal would add a broader access mandate.

There are no velvet ropes on the Moon, but its radio channels are beginning to need a door policy. Landers, relays, navigation systems and scientific instruments all want to speak. China and Russia have now asked the ITU to decide what a fair invitation looks like before the guest list grows.

Their 19 October contribution 86 proposes a new resolution for the Plenipotentiary Conference opening on 9 November. It calls for rational, efficient, equitable and nondiscriminatory use of lunar radio frequencies. The operative text would place lunar demand in the ITU's long-term regulatory work and advance a transparent, stable and unified management regime. It also invites members to contribute data and research on allocations, standards, interference protection, coordination and sharing. Access for developing countries appears in both its principles and its capacity-building request.

The technical track is moving already. WRC-23 Resolution 680 asks ITU-R to study lunar surface links and connections between orbit and the surface in time for WRC-27. It names candidate frequency ranges, sharing tests and protection criteria, including radio astronomy in the Moon's shielded zone. WRC-27 agenda item 1.15 carries that work. The China–Russia proposal addresses who can expect access and how the process should be run across future missions.

That distinction matters to a smaller space programme. A published frequency table is useful; the ability to join the technical work, see coordination decisions and challenge an opaque first-mover advantage is useful too. The draft gives those concerns a plenipotentiary podium. The conference will decide whether to give them a formal mandate.