Transportation Secretary and former Fox News host Sean Duffy, who has described New York’s subway system as a “hellscape,” wants to put a nuclear reactor on the moon, according to a new report.
The project would be the first major action for Duffy, Politico reported. It follows a proposal President Donald Trump put forward at the end of his first administration for the federal government to create a space nuclear power strategy.
Politico reported that the plans include building a 100-kilowatt reactor on the lunar surface by 2030. That would more than double the previous reactor size that NASA was researching.
The directive also warns that if the United States were to lose the race to build a lunar nuclear reactor, then other countries could “declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States,” Politico reported.
“It is about winning the second space race,” said a NASA senior official who was granted anonymity to talk with Politico.