NASA is working on a fast-track plan to build a small nuclear reactor on the moon in a race to secure space dominance over China and Russia.
The space agency believes it can launch a nuclear reactor to the moon’s surface by 2030, according to a directive sent by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is also serving as NASA’s acting administrator, CNBC reported. The plan was first reported by POLITICO and then confirmed on Tuesday by Duffy.
A nuclear reactor on the moon would provide a reliable power source for NASA’s Artemis campaign, which focuses on “exploring the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars.” Duffy also warned that if China and Russia achieve their goal to power a lunar base with a nuclear reactor by the mid-2030s, the countries “could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.”
The U.S. lunar reactor would generate at least 100 kilowatts of power, enough to power around 80 American homes. To get the reactor to the moon, the United States would send it aboard a heavy-class lander, a type of spacecraft capable of handling large cargo.
“We’re in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy. And some of the key locations on the moon, we’re going to get solar power, but this vision technology is critically important, and so we’ve spent hundreds of million [of] dollars studying,” Duffy said at a press conference.
“If we’re going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important,” he added. And I would just note that … we’re behind, right? If we’re going to engage in the race to the moon and the race to Mars, we have to get our act together. We have to marshal all of our resources, all of our focus on going to the moon, which is what we’re going to do.”
Duffy’s directive seeks to find companies that would be able to launch a nuclear reactor to the moon by 2030. The directive marked the first major announcement from Duffy as head of NASA since he took over as acting administrator last month after Trump pulled the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a friend of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, following a public feud with Musk.