US to Accelerate Plans for Nuclear Power Plant on the Moon

The US is set to accelerate its plans to construct a nuclear power plant on the Moon. According to Politico, citing documents, NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffi is expected to announce the details of the program this week.

The documents indicate that the first country to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon would have the ability to "declare a no-fly zone, which would significantly limit the United States' options." In this regard, NASA is seeking a contractor to build a 100 kW nuclear reactor that will be launched into space by 2030. Sean Duffi has referred to this as a "victory in the second space race."

Additionally, the United States also plans to expedite its withdrawal from the International Space Station and replace it with commercial stations by 2030. Several companies, including Axiom Space, Vast, and Blue Origin, have made proposals to meet this request.

It is worth noting that on June 12, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin announced plans to create the first nuclear power plant on the Moon. On May 8, an agreement was signed with the China National Space Administration concerning the construction of a lunar nuclear power plant for research purposes.