Sean Duffy, the interim NASA administrator and U.S. Secretary of Transportation, announced a plan to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon. This reactor is intended to power a future American base as part of the Artemis program. The decision marks a significant step toward establishing a permanent human presence on the lunar surface.
During a press conference, Duffy revealed that NASA, which has so far been conducting conceptual studies on the feasibility of installing a reactor, has now received direct orders to begin preparations for construction. The reactor, categorized as a Small Modular Reactor (SMR), is planned to have a power output of 100 kilowatts and is expected to be placed on the Moon’s surface by 2030.
The directives issued by the Secretary aim to accelerate the project’s development to outpace similar efforts by China and Russia, who, according to available information, plan to deploy their own lunar reactor by the mid-2030s.
The construction of the reactor is closely linked to the subsequent stages of the Artemis program, which aims to maintain a continuous human presence on the Moon and develop the technology needed for future missions to Mars. This project could have significant implications not only for space exploration but also for the transfer of technology to civil applications, especially in energy and autonomous systems.
Source: NASA, Science in Poland.
