U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is set to announce a rapidly tracked plan this week to build a nuclear reactor.
The announcement is an important step towards ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of increasingly competitive international push to establish a lasting presence on the moon.
While NASA has long entertained the idea of placing nuclear power sources on the moon, the latest directives outlined in internal documents obtained by Politico provide a concrete, accelerated timeline overview.
Goal: We will launch a fully functional 100-kilowatt Lunar Nuclear Reactor by 2030.
Time and competition with rivals
The development is as NASA faces budget cuts, including a nearly 50% reduction in funding for its science mission.
At the same time, agencies are being urged to replace the Aging International Space Station (ISS) and focus their attention on the strategic goals of US space policy, particularly missions along human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars.
The urgency of this initiative is attributed to the growing geopolitical competition in space. China and Russia have already announced plans to jointly build an automated nuclear power plant on the moon by 2035.
India, Japan and Russia are also rapidly advancing their lunar exploration. The US aims to defeat these countries and deploy nuclear reactors. Officials have declared a “keepout zone” and warned that it could be used to establish control of the territory on the moon.
Why nuclear? Solar doesn’t cut it
A key technical factor in the lunar nuclear project lies in the unique challenges posed by the harsh environment of the lunar.
One moon day spans approximately 28 Earth days. There is two weeks of sunshine followed by two weeks of darkness.
This relies solely on solar energy to maintain long-term moon missions, particularly to power habitats, scientific experiments and rovers.
Nuclear reactor development on the month provides stable, long-term solutions. Provides a continuous supply of energy regardless of the moon night cycle. This is essential to supporting human existence on the moon and ultimately the Mars.
Past progress, future deadlines
NASA already has the foundations. In 2022, the agency awarded three $5 million contracts to US companies to design a conceptual model for the lunar fission reactor.
The goal of these contracts was to create a compact and efficient system with a weight of less than 6 meters, and to generate at least 40 kilowatts of power.
These early designs, part of NASA’s fission surface power project, also take into account safety, automation, fuel type and remote operation. Each partner proposed a variety of innovative concepts and contributed to a diverse portfolio of potential solutions.
Now the new directive expands its vision. It asks NASA to call on new industry proposals for a stronger 100-kilowatt reactor for the moon and designate a leader overseeing the program.
The directive also requires industry feedback within 60 days. This is an indication that the timeline has been significantly reduced to coincide with rising strategic concerns.
Powers the next era of lunar exploration
The plan to deploy nuclear reactors on the moon represents a critical step in the US strategy of establishing a long-term, self-sufficiency presence across the globe.
As international competition intensifies, reliable power infrastructure is essential to supporting the operation of the moon, from habitats and mobility systems to scientific research and communications networks.
With a targeted launch by 2030, this effort reflects a broader shift towards durable, scalable solutions for global exploration.
The reactor project not only addresses the technical challenges of lunar energy generation, but also strengthens the US position to shape the rules and technologies that define the next phase of space development.
In building the lunar reliable power source, the US can strengthen its role as a leader in space innovation and set the stage for future missions that will further guide human exploration into the solar system.
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