NASA is reportedly pushing to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon before Russia or China can.
Politico reports that the U.S. is speeding up its plans to construct a nuclear reactor on the Moon. NASA officials have allegedly been instructed to accelerate their efforts to surpass Russia and China in what’s being called a new space race.
According to Politico’s Monday report, a directive from acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy is pushing for the creation of a 100-kilowatt fission reactor capable of operating on the Moon by 2030. This initiative is reportedly part of a strategic push for dominance in space.
”This is about winning the second space race,” a high-ranking NASA official reportedly told the publication. The U.S. declared victory in the first space race against the USSR after successfully landing humans on the Moon in 1969.
The document, which has been cited by other news sources, states that “it is imperative the agency move quickly” to secure the necessary technology for upcoming exploration and national security endeavors.
The memo cautioned that if another nation manages to deploy a lunar reactor first, it could “declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States.”
Nuclear power is seen as a major advancement for long-term space exploration. Russia is also developing its own space-based reactor for the Zeus nuclear-powered space tug, officially known as the Transport and Energy Module.
NASA had previously announced the development of a 40-kilowatt lunar fission system, awarding three companies $5 million each to assess its viability. The long lunar nights and areas in permanent shadow make solar power unreliable, leading to the search for alternative power sources.
Duffy, who also serves as secretary of transportation, was appointed acting NASA chief last month by US President Donald Trump.
Under the Trump administration, the agency’s focus has shifted to manned missions to the Moon and Mars, while funding for robotic science missions has been reduced as part of broader government spending cuts.
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