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NASA Plans Nuclear Reactor on Moon by 2030
NASA and DOE aim to deliver a nuclear fission reactor by 2030 to provide continuous power for lunar missions, supporting Artemis and future Mars exploration efforts.
- NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday they signed a memorandum of understanding to deploy nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit by 2030.
- Under the plan, solar power limitations on the Moon and 14-day lunar nights drive the push, following President Donald Trump's executive order titled "Ensuring American Space Superiority" last year.
- Engineers describe the systems as nuclear fission surface power units with a uranium reactor core about the size of a paper towel roll, providing at least 40 kilowatts of power, enough to run 30 households for a decade.
- Continuous, reliable power would allow NASA to sustain a long-term presence on the Moon, support the Artemis program and future Mars missions, and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright called it a landmark achievement.
- Significant engineering will be required, as a working launch vehicle and lunar landing capability are needed, and experts remain divided on whether the 2030 timeline is achievable.
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US plans to build nuclear reactor on Moon by 2030 in preparation for missions to Mars
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the project "will be one of the greatest technical achievements in the history of nuclear energy and space exploration.”
·Washington, United States
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Total News Sources131
Leaning Left7Leaning Right21Center49Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Center
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
64% Center
C 64%
R 27%
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