Even as the Trump administration cuts NASA’s budget and workforce, the space agency is moving forward with a bold plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, according to Politico.
The report notes that Transport Minister/Interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy will soon announce the work with the goal of opening the 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor by 2030. Many urgency seems to be related to competition from China and Russia. China plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2030, and both China and Russia have discussed joint operations to build nuclear reactors on the moon’s surface.
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NASA believes another country that wins nuclear competition on the moon may suppress the U.S.’s own lunar ambitions. As Lunar Night lasts for two weeks, nuclear power will be an alternative to solar power, powering permanent or semi-permanent lunar bases and missions. Furthermore, some moons are in permanent shadows, making solar-powered tasks even more complex in these areas. NASA said nuclear power will open up more of the moon to humans.
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However, how to build a reactor remains an open question Newsweek Generators are recommended to use uranium fuel and bury it under the moon’s surface to protect astronauts from radiation.
NASA also plans to replace the internationally aging space station by 2030, which may be helped by corporate entities such as Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. By then, the ISS may be retired and fall into the ocean, and if the replacement of the ISS is not built in time, China will operate the only permanent crew space station.
Under Trump and Duffy, NASA also prioritizes the human aerospace community, including Mars, while believing that scientific efforts are being made.
