Nuclear Reactors on the Moon for Permanent Lunar Bases

The United States, China and Russia, which are planning to build permanent bases on the Moon, have entered a race to install nuclear reactors to generate electricity for these lunar facilities.The United States is planning to deploy a nuclear reactor near the Moon’s south pole by 2030, while Russia and China are jointly working toward achieving a similar goal by 2036. The three countries believe these nuclear reactors will not only provide electricity to lunar bases but also support resource exploration on the Moon and future space missions launched from the lunar surface.

Since constructing a nuclear reactor on the Moon in the same way as on Earth would be extremely difficult, the plan is to build the reactors on Earth, transport them to the Moon in an inactive state aboard rockets, and install them there.As part of this effort, NASA reportedly asked its contractors in August to develop nuclear reactors capable of withstanding the stresses of the journey to the Moon and operating there without requiring extensive maintenance. The reactors are expected to follow a plug-and-play model, and NASA has instructed that the system be ready for launch by December 2030.

According to a report published by The New York Times, the nuclear reactor being planned by NASA will have the capacity to generate 20 kilowatts of electricity.Russia is also reportedly working on a secret partnership with China to deploy a nuclear reactor capable of generating 10 kilowatts of electricity on the Moon by 2036.These developments highlight the growing competition among major space powers to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon and utilise lunar resources for future exploration.