Plans to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon

Some reports suggest that the Trump administration will unveil plans this week for constructing a nuclear reactor on the moon. Sean Duffy, the interim administrator of NASA, apparently intends to announce a quick initiative as a part of what is described as a “winning in the Second Space Race.” Documents and unnamed senior NASA officials cited by Politico indicate that Duffy’s direction could lead to industry proposals for launching a lunar reactor by the year 2030. There’s talk about expanding this project further into the early 2030s.

It’s said that the first nation to establish a reactor on the moon might be able to “declare a keep-out zone” which could, in some ways, significantly challenge the United States.

Politico also mentioned that Duffy will guide efforts to replace the International Space Station quickly and will instruct NASA to appoint a leader for the lunar foundation while gathering industry feedback within about two months.

An unnamed official at NASA commented, “The budget didn’t focus on nuclear propulsion, but that doesn’t mean it’s viewed as an unimportant technology.” It’s interesting, you know, how priorities can shift in such large organizations.

Meanwhile, China seems to have ambitious plans in the space arena, targeting a manned lunar landing by 2030. Reports suggest that both China and Russia are considering collaborative efforts in space, and there’s speculation that the U.S. could thwart these ambitions by partnering on a similar reactor project aimed at the moon.

As of now, neither the White House nor NASA has responded to inquiries from relevant news entities.