NASA has reached a critical milestone in the nuclear reactor project, which it has been working on for nearly three years to establish permanent bases on the Moon. The preparations, which began in 2022 with three major private companies: Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse, and IX, will be finalized this week with a concrete timeline.

A nuclear reactor to be built on the Moon

Sean Duffy, interim NASA Administrator and US Secretary of Transportation, issued an internal directive directing the acceleration of the project. Duffy is expected to hold a press conference in the coming days and officially announce the project schedule.

The initial plan was to build a 40-kilowatt reactor on the Moon. However, the updated plan now indicates a 100-kilowatt nuclear power system by 2030. Duffy’s directive emphasized the need for the private sector to prepare for this new goal.

The acceleration of the project is driven not only by scientific objectives but also by geopolitical competition. Two months ago, it was officially announced that China and Russia are collaborating to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon. While the two countries aim to complete this project between 2030 and 2035, it is being assessed that the US could lose its strategic advantage if it delays.

Sean Duffy’s memo to NASA personnel stated that the country that builds the first nuclear reactor on the lunar surface could have the right to restrict other countries’ activities in the region.

Significant cuts to the NASA budget following Donald Trump’s re-election have negatively impacted resources allocated to scientific research. However, strategically important projects like nuclear reactors appear unaffected. The fact that this project is the first major initiative announced by Sean Duffy as interim NASA director demonstrates that the Trump administration prioritizes this work.

The motivations behind building a nuclear reactor on the Moon are not solely political or technological. Solar energy is not always a reliable resource on the lunar surface. A lunar night period lasts approximately 14 Earth days, during which time solar panels cannot generate energy.

Nuclear energy, on the other hand, can provide uninterrupted power, ensuring continuity in areas such as shelter, communications, scientific experiments, and production activities.